The overtime trap in Cyprus: why high employment does not bring prosperity

Despite Cypriots being officially recognized as one of the hardest-working nations in Europe, this diligence does not translate into personal prosperity for citizens. According to Philenews, in 2025 the average length of the working week on the island amounted to 37.7 hours, which is significantly above the EU average (35.9 hours). Moreover, 16.6% of the local population work more than 45 hours a week, ranking behind only Greece on this measure. Nevertheless, real household incomes are not rising: Cyprus's GDP per capita remains 14% below the European average, wages lag behind EU standards, and the share of low-paid employees reaches a critical 20%. The main share of profits from the growing economy goes to big capital, while employees face rising prices for food, energy, and housing rent.

Economic experts stress that the root of the problem lies not in the number of hours worked, but in the inefficient structure of the labor market and systematic violations of the rules. In recent years, Cyprus has successfully implemented modern European legislation designed to protect workers' rights in the private sector. The country has strict rules in place: mandatory cashless salary payments with the issuance of a payslip, a reduction of the probationary period to six months instead of the previous two years, the right to legal side jobs, as well as regulated remote-work rules, including an employee's right to