Methodological Notes
This Labour Market Guide compiles data from various sources, including the Labour Force Survey (LFS), Household Budget Survey (HBS), Consumer Price Index (CPI), Social Insurance Register, trade and other economic statistics. When reviewing the data in the Guide there are some methodological considerations that should be taken into account:
1. Labour Force Survey (LFS):
Census Data: The LFS relating to the GCC is based on the 2021 census, while the LFS relating to the TCC relies on the 2011 census data. This may affect labour market analyses and comparability.
Weights: Methodology of data collected in the LFS relating to the GCC and TCC may differ. This could affect the comparability of labour market data and indicators.
2. Living Conditions and Standards:
Surveys Frequency: Data collected for the GCC on living conditions and standards comes from two main sources. The Household Income and Living Conditions Survey (EUSILC) conducted on an annual basis and the Household Budget Survey conducted typically every 5 years. For the TCC the main source of data on living conditions and standards is the Household Budget Survey/Income Distribution Survey , which is conducted typically every 6-7 years. This difference limits the ability to conduct proper assessments of socio-economic changes over time.
Census Data: Population and demographic statistics are key to understanding the socioeconomic situation, including of vulnerable groups. Data collected in the latest Household Budget Survey/Income distribution survey relating to the TCC is based on the 2011 census.
3. Social Insurance Data:
Coverage Limitations: Data from the Social Insurance Register reflects only the number of registered individuals and their declared income. This dataset does not account for any underreporting of wages or informal work, potentially leading to an underestimation of actual employment and discrepancies between actual and recorded earnings. This is a phenomenon observed in relation to the social insurance data for the TCC. The exact scale is difficult to assess.
4. Consumer Price Index (CPI):
Base Year, weighting & classification: CPI data relating to both the GCC and the TCC uses the COICOP system. Data collected for the GCC follows EU standards with periodic updates and regular updates on weights. Data collected for the TCC is based on the 2015 Household Budget Survey/Income distribution survey, potentially limiting its inclusion of recent consumption patterns.
Price Collection, Frequency and Calculation: For CPI data relating to the GCC, prices are collected systematically across various sectors, adjusting frequency for volatility. For CPI data relating to the TCC, data is collected from 641 retail outlets and 42 rental units, with more frequent updates for fresh produce. For both CPI data relating to both GCC and TCC, the Laspeyres index is used.
6. Gross Domestic Product
Base Year: Real GDP figures (or GDP at constant prices) are based on different reference years for constant prices, with the GCC using 2010 as the base year and the TCC using 1977.
About this Guide
The Labour Market Guide is a shared knowledge resource produced within the context of the Labour Market Task Group of the Cyprus Dialogue Forum, in which stakeholder organisations from both communities participate. It aims to provide a comprehensive source of knowledge on issues pertaining to the economic and social dimensions of the labour market. It is structured in a way to support stakeholders in their dialogue, providing easy access to the most recent data available from across the island. The guide serves as an online space for shared knowledge creation. It seeks to provide for the first time an all island database on key economic and labour related issues. The data presented allows the users to understand the circumstances prevailing across a wide range of labour and economy related issues.
The Guide is an open trilingual resource, freely accessible to anyone with an interest in labour or economy related issues on the island. It is presented without interpretation, ensuring that all users have equal access to the raw data necessary for their analysis. The guide is not meant to be a comparative data guide. The guide is designed to be a user-friendly tool, making complex data easily accessible for everyone, regardless of their background or expertise. By democratizing access to this information, the guide aims to empower individuals, organisations, and stakeholders from both communities to engage in informed discussions, fostering a more inclusive dialogue on the future of the island's labour market.
About the Labour Market Task Group & participating organisations
The Labour Market Task Group is a thematic committee of the Cyprus Dialogue Forum. It is a dialogue among mandated representatives from Trade Unions, Employer and Professional Associations, Political Parties and NGOs from the two communities on issues relating to the labour market. In the context of the dialogue, stakeholders recognise that the viability of a peace agreement is based not only on the development of the legal and political governance frameworks but also on the preparation and planning of an implementation process aimed at improving economic and social cohesion between the two communities in view to enable a vibrant and healthy labour market to function. While labour related issues are in part addressed in the formal negotiation process, these are relatively limited. Thus, a major concern of the stakeholders is that a concrete and viable process for labour market integration and implementation is not within the agenda of the formal process.
Within this context, the Labour Market Task Group works towards establishing a shared vision that serves the prospect of integrating the labour market as well as creating options for addressing problems and challenges in the process. Towards this, stakeholders have concluded a Common Understanding Document as a consensus document between them that serves both as a shared vision document and also as a roadmap for their dialogue. It lays the foundations of the single labour market framework as the shared vision of the stakeholders and outlines the main principles to be secured in reaching economic and social cohesion within a single labour market. A labour market that is healthy and vibrant, characterised by economic and social cohesion, that aims to remove economic and social disparities without undermining existing conditions for employees/employers in the two communities, in an inclusive, just and viable manner where business people and employees have their equal share regardless of their ethnic identity, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, and disability. The efforts of the Task Group do not aim to replace the formal process but to act in a complementary manner to contribute and support the efforts to reach a solution to the Cyprus problem.
KTAMS | Kıbrıs Türk Amme Memurları Sendikası | Cyprus Turkish Civil Servants Trade Union
TÜRK - SEN | Kıbrıs Türk İşçi Sendikaları Federasyonu | Federation of Turkish Cypriot Trade Unions
DEV-İŞ | Devrimci İşçi Sendikaları Federasyonu | Revolutionary Trade Unions Federation
Koop-Sen | Kooperatif Görevlileri Sendikası | Cooperative Employees' Union
KTEZO | Kıbrıs Türk Esnaf ve Zanaatkarlar Odası | Chamber of Turkish Cypriot Artisans and Shopkeepers
KTTO | Kıbrıs Türk Ticaret Odası | Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce
KTSO | Kıbrıs Türk Sanayi Odası | Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry
PEO | Π.Ε.Ο | Παγκύπρια Εργατική Ομοσπονδία | Pancyprian Labour Federation
SEK | ΣΕΚ | Συνομοσπονδία Εργαζομένων Κύπρου | Cyprus Workers Confederation
PASYDY | ΠΑ.ΣΥ.ΔΥ | Παγκύπρια Συντεχνία Δημοσίων Υπαλλήλων | Pancyprian Public Servants Union
ΟΕΒ | Ομοσπονδία Εργοδοτών και Βιομηχάνων | Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation
CCCI | ΚΕΒΕ | Κυπριακό Εμπορικό και Βιομηχανικό Επιμελητήριο | Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry
PASYXE | ΠΑΣΥΞΕ | Παγκύπριος Σύνδεσμος Ξενοδόχων | Cyprus Hotel Association
CTP | Cumhuriyetçi Türk Partisi | Republican Turkish Party
UBP | Ulusal Birlik Partisi | National Unity Party
AKEL | ΑΚΕΛ | Ανορθωτικό Κόμμα Εργαζομένου Λαού | Progressive Party of Working People
DISY | ΔΗΣΥ | Δημοκρατικός Συναγερμός | Democratic Rally