Jobless rate stays at 16.7% in October
Greece’s unemployment rate stayed put at 16.7% in October 2020, according to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), while employment posted a 0.3% annual increase, the figures it issued on Friday showed.
The data illustrated that the government measures to help enterprises and workers amid the pandemic paid off, as the jobless rate was the same as in October 2019, and as in September 2020 – the latter of which has been revised to 16.7% from a previous estimate for 16.1%.
The absolute figure of unemployed increased by just 446 people from October 2019, an annual rise of just 0.2%, and by 287 from September 2020. The October jobless numbered 786,439.
The most interesting finding of the monthly report was the increase in the jobless rate among people aged 25 to 34 years (at 24.6% from 22.5% a year earlier).
Women were worse off than men in terms of unemployment, with their rate rising to 20.6% in October from 20.4% a year earlier, while the rate for men eased to 13.5% from 13.8% in October 2019. The age group with the highest share of jobless workers remained those between 15 and 24 years with 35%.
