Some 65% of Cypriot small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) describe the process of hiring workers from third countries — non-EU countries — as difficult, according to the results of Flash Eurobarometer 571 published by the European Commission.
With the corresponding EU-wide figure, also referring to SMEs that have attempted to hire third-country nationals, standing at 54%, the survey highlights barriers rooted primarily in complex and lengthy administrative procedures.
In detail, the main obstacle identified by Cypriot SMEs is the complexity or length of recruitment and immigration procedures, cited by 47% of respondents who have attempted to hire third-country nationals, compared to 31% across the EU. This is followed by difficulty finding suitable candidates, reported by 38% of Cypriot SMEs versus 25% at EU level, while a notable share also points to insufficient information on immigration procedures, with similarly low figures both in Cyprus (18%) and across the 27 member states (16%).
As regards the occupations for which Cypriot SMEs turned to workers from third countries, cleaning and support service workers rank first at 42%, followed by skilled construction workers at 29% and food preparation and processing staff at 26%. In all three sectors, Cypriot figures significantly exceed the EU average, which stands at 12%, 17% and 14% respectively.
On the support services considered most useful, Cypriot SMEs rank immigration and relocation assistance first, at 38% compared to 18% at EU level, followed by information and guidance on recruiting third-country nationals, with comparable figures of 28% and 25%. Workplace integration support is also considered important (27% versus 20%). Notably, at EU-27 level, financial support through grants, subsidies and tax incentives ranks first at 31%, while Cyprus places it fourth, with 26% of businesses rating it as significant.
Regarding the integration and retention of third-country workers following recruitment, 25% of Cypriot SMEs reported difficulties integrating them into their company, compared to 30% at EU level, while 27% — both in Cyprus and across the EU — encountered difficulties in retaining them.
Finally, despite the higher rate of attempts to hire from third countries, familiarity with available support services remains limited: only 17% of Cypriot SMEs said they were familiar with such services, a figure marginally above the EU average of 15%, while a substantial 71% declared no familiarity, compared to 79% at EU level.
The survey, examining the barriers faced by European SMEs in recruiting workers from outside the EU, was conducted in December 2025 across 12,900 businesses at EU-27 level and 260 in Cyprus, where 21% of companies reported having attempted to hire workers from third countries to address skills shortages — a figure that exceeds the EU average of 14%.
(Source: CNA)
