Workers in Cyprus had a higher likelihood of being overqualified for their jobs in 2023 compared to most other EU member states. This trend also applied to citizens of other EU countries working in Cyprus, which had the second-highest overqualification rate according to data released by Eurostat, the EU's statistical office, on Monday.

Significant overqualification rates were also noted among third-country nationals working in Cyprus, aligning with the EU average.

In all three categories, Cyprus experienced a notable decrease in overqualification rates from 2022 to 2023. During the same period, the EU saw a slight decrease in these rates across all three categories.

However, the disparity between overqualified male and female workers in Cyprus was substantial, with women being disproportionately affected in all three categories in 2023.

Specifically, in 2023, third-country nationals working in the EU were almost twice as likely to be overqualified for their jobs compared to native workers. The overqualification rate stood at 39.4% for third-country nationals (a 0.1 percentage point decrease from 2022) and 31.3% for citizens of other EU countries working outside their home country (a 0.3 percentage point decrease). For those working in their country of origin, the overqualification rate was 20.8%, a 0.3 percentage point decrease from the previous year.

In Cyprus, the overqualification rate for third-country nationals was 39.3% (down 10.6 percentage points from 49.9% in 2022), 43.1% for citizens of other EU countries (down 5.1 percentage points from 48.2%), and 27.5% for Cypriots (down 0.9 percentage points from 28.4%).

Among EU member states, the highest overqualification rates for third-country nationals in 2023 were recorded in Greece (69.6%), Italy (64.1%), and Spain (56.0%).

For citizens of other EU countries, the highest overqualification rates were observed in Italy (45.1%), Cyprus (43.1%), and Spain (42.3%).

Regarding overqualification rates by gender, data indicates that women consistently faced higher rates of overqualification than men.

In 2023, the overqualification rate among women from third countries working in the EU was 6.7 percentage points higher than that for men. The rate was also 3.2 percentage points higher for women who were citizens of other EU countries. For native workers, the rate for women was 1.2 percentage points higher than for men.

In Cyprus, the disparity was even more pronounced. The overqualification rate among women from third countries working in Cyprus was 15.8 percentage points higher than that for men. It was also 12.6 percentage points higher for citizens of other EU countries. For Cypriot nationals, the rate for women was 5 percentage points higher than for men.