Galery

1

Unemployment in Greece has marked a new record. The data of the National Statistical Service of Greece show that it reached 27.9% in June compared with 27.6% a month earlier and 24.6% in June last year.

The number of unemployed has increased by 174,709 (14.2%) compared with June 2012 and by 20,254 compared with May 2013. The current number of unemployed is 1,403,698.

The number of employed is 3,628,421 as shown by the statistical data, which is 128,998 people, or 3.4%, less than the same period last year and 2,390 people, or 0.1%, less compared with May.

On the other hand the number of economically inactive people has dropped by 23,155, or 0.7%, compared with June 2012 and increased by 14,844, or 0.4%, within one month. Their total number is 3,334,690.

The communication of the statistical service states that the seasonally unadjusted estimates show a significant drop in unemployment of around 1.2% in June. "The unemployment rate is obviously disappointing. However, the latest data on the annual change in employment and recruitment in the private sector show that the unemployment rate is probably close to its peak", Platon Monokroussos, economist at Eurobank, told Reuters.

In his opinion, the seasonal appointments in the tourism sector and the unfreezing of state projects will improve the data for the second half.

The unemployment rate among young people aged between 15 and 24 years is still particularly high, namely 58.8%, compared with 54.8% a year ago, followed by the 25 to 34 age group in which the rate of unemployed is 27.4% compared with 32.5% in June 2012.

Women appear to be more affected than men. The rate in this group has increased from 28.4% in June 2012 to 31.9% this year whereas the increase in men is from 21.9% to 24.9%.

The highest unemployment rate has been recorded in the areas of Epirus and Western Macedonia, 29.7%, followed by the regions of Macedonia and Thrace with 29.5%.