In the first quarter of 2024, the Greek unemployment rate rose to 12.1%, up by 0.3 percentage points. The Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) reported that the jobless rate number of individuals was 4,173,424, reflecting a 0.2% decline from the previous quarter and a 1.8% increase from the same period last year.
In the first quarter of 2024 focusing on Greek unemployment , the number of unemployed individuals in Greece rose to 574,130, marking a 17.5% increase from the previous quarter and a 4.3% rise from the same period last year. The unemployment rate stood at 12.1%, up from 10.5% in Q4 2023 and 11.8% in Q1 2023.
The number of individuals outside the labor force under 75 years old was 3,049,185, decreasing by 2.5% from the previous quarter and by 3.8% from the same quarter last year.
Unemployment rates are highest among women, young people up to 24 years old, residents of the Ionian Islands, and those with only a few years of primary education. The largest share of the labor force consists of men, individuals aged 30-44, residents of Attica, those with post-secondary education, and foreign nationals.
Survey data reveals that the main reasons for unemployment are job terminations due to limited-duration contracts (35.9%) and dismissals (14.5%). Newly unemployed individuals, who have never worked before, constitute 22.9% of the unemployed.
Long-term unemployed individuals, seeking work for a year or more, make up 52.0% of the unemployed population. Most unemployed individuals have completed up to secondary education (60.2%). Additionally, 21.4% of unemployed individuals are not registered and 15.6% receive an allowance or aid from the state.
The highest employment rates are in service provision and sales (22.2%) and professional occupations (22.1%). Compared to the previous quarter, industrial installation, machinery, and equipment operators saw the largest increase (4.5%), while unskilled laborers, manual workers, and small tradespeople experienced the largest decrease (-5.6%).
