The migration of young people abroad is becoming increasingly evident in Cyprus' employment statistics, according to Pavlos Kalosynatos, director of the PEO Cyprus Labour Institute, who says the figures point to a growing search for better employment conditions and wages overseas.
His comments come as the International Labour Organization (ILO) warns of a new global youth employment crisis, with troubling indicators recorded worldwide.
At the same time, concerns are growing in Cyprus over signs that young people are leaving the country in pursuit of better career opportunities and earnings.
According to findings included in the ILO's annual youth employment report, 67 million young people were unemployed last year, while more than 257 million were neither working, studying nor receiving training.
The organization notes that youth unemployment increased globally last year, with some of the sharpest rises occurring in high-income economies, as artificial intelligence technologies continue to expand rapidly.
The global unemployment rate for young people aged 15-24 reached 12.4% in 2025, compared with 12.3% in 2024, meaning an estimated 67 million young people were without work.
During the same period, the proportion of young people who were not in employment, education or training (NEET) also increased slightly, reaching 20% and exceeding 257 million people worldwide.
"The slowdown in economic growth, insufficient job creation, geopolitical tensions and accelerating technological change are pushing countries towards a new youth employment crisis," the ILO warns.
The report further notes that technological developments, especially the growing use of artificial intelligence, are reshaping employment prospects for young people.
The Cyprus picture
Commenting on the report and the situation in Cyprus, Kalosynatos told Politis that unemployment among young people aged 15 to 24 had been declining until 2024, falling to 13% from the dramatic peak of 39% in 2013.
In 2025, however, youth unemployment increased by 0.5 percentage points compared with 2024, while overall unemployment fell by 0.4 percentage points.
"The significant reduction in youth unemployment during the 2013-2024 period was not due primarily to increased employment, which was the main driver of falling unemployment among other age groups," he said.
"Among young people aged 15-24, employment increased by only 1,250 individuals between 2013 and 2025, while total employment across all age groups rose by almost 140,000 during the same period."
He argues that the fall in youth unemployment is mainly attributable to a dramatic contraction of the 15-24 age group, both within the general population and within the labour force.
Specifically, young people aged 15-24 represented 15.6% of the total population in 2013, compared with only 9.2% in 2026.
The same age group accounted for 10% of the country's labour force in 2013, but only 5.7% in 2025.
Migration seen as the most likely explanation
According to Kalosynatos, a demographic contraction of this scale over roughly a decade cannot be explained solely by lower birth rates or increased participation in higher education.
"The only logical explanation is migration abroad."
He warns that such a trend could undermine the medium-term growth prospects of the Cypriot economy, while also affecting social cohesion and the country's demographic structure.
"It is time to begin a serious discussion about regulating decent employment conditions and earnings for young workers," he said.
Artificial intelligence yet to be fully assessed
Kalosynatos added that the impact of artificial intelligence on Cyprus' labour market has not yet been sufficiently studied.
In his view, any current effects are likely to be of secondary importance.
Nevertheless, he argued that Cyprus should begin discussing artificial intelligence in a balanced and realistic manner.
"The discussion on artificial intelligence should begin in our country with sobriety and realism, without apocalyptic scenarios and without intimidating workers."
Eurostat figures
According to data recently published by Eurostat, Cyprus' overall unemployment rate fell to 3% in June, down from 3.1% in May and 4.5% in June 2025.
Youth unemployment among those under 25 stood at 7.8%, compared with 15.2% in June 2025.
