Total employment in Cyprus' broad public sector reached 78,388 persons in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 1.8% increase year-on-year, according to the state statistical service, Cystat. The growth was primarily driven by local authorities, where employment rose by 14.8%, adding 825 jobs compared to the same period in 2025.

Employment within the general government sector stood at 73,236 persons, including 55,354 state employees, 11,476 in non-profit organizations, and 6,406 in local authorities. Publicly owned enterprises and companies employed 5,152 people, an increase of 3.8% from the previous year.

Compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, broad public sector employment grew slightly by 0.3%, with gains recorded across central government, local authorities, and publicly owned enterprises. Cystat also noted that the term "government" is now replaced by "state employees" to improve accuracy without affecting data comparability.