The difference in figures means there are some 16,000 people no longer entitled to jobless benefits, which in Cyprus only last for six months but Emilianidou said they should still sign on so that her offices can help them find a job. The minister said that shortly a number of new measures would be announced to help create jobs and revive the job market. Emilianidou met with representatives from opposition AKEL who handed over a report about how to tackle unemployment.

“There are currently 52,000 people registered as unemployed who are seeking work and it is our responsibility when there are vacancies depending on their field and the period when they signed up to find them a job,” she said. “What is important is that we all try to help out those without jobs so nine projects will be announced to help unemployed people find a job and re-enter the job market,” she added.

AKEL’s parliamentary spokesman Stavros Evagorou said that in the report from the party’s economic research office there were a number of proposals regarding the creation of new jobs. Statistical services reported on recently that unemployment in Cyprus reached a new record high in January 2014, with 52,783 unemployed people registered, compared to 50,467 in December 2013 and 45,933 in January 2012.

Source: Cyprus Mail