Unemployment rises to 23.6 percent in 2Q
The rate of unemployment in Greece rose to 23.6 percent in the second quarter of this year, up from 22.6 percent in the previous quarter and compared to 16.3 percent in the second quarter of 2011, according to figures from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) made public on Thursday.
ELSTAT’s figures showed that the number of jobless Greeks stood at 1,168,761 during the second quarter of this year.
Unemployment among young Greeks — aged between 15 and 24 — has reached dramatic levels, hitting 53.9 percent with 62.1 percent of women within this age bracket jobless.
Geographically, northern Greece has been particularly badly affected with unemployment reaching 30 percent in Western Macedonia. The islands of the Ionian and southern Aegean are the least hard hit with jobless rates of 14.3 percent and 15.3 percent respectively.
Overall the unemployment rate among women is 27.3 percent compared to 20.8 percent for men.
