Greek joblessness remains stable at 8.2 pct in June
Greece’s unemployment rate came in at 8.2 percent in June, little changed from 8.3 percent in the same month last year, according to official figures released yesterday. The figures, which are not seasonally adjusted, show the jobless rate rose from 7.7 percent in May, partly as building activity slowed in the month due to summer building activity restrictions, the National Statistics Service (NSS) said. «It was a seasonal rise, mainly due to restrictions that slowed down the construction sector,» said an NSS official who declined to be named. Construction in tourist regions and on islands is restricted in the summer months to avoid disturbing tourists, the official said. Building permits dropped 7.7 percent year-on-year in June, the statistics office said last week. Despite strong economic growth the country’s jobless rate remains higher than the eurozone average, a sign that a large part of it is structural, and making the issue a main topic in Sunday’s elections. Eurozone unemployment was 6.9 percent in June. Greece’s economy grew at a 4.2 percent annual pace in the second quarter, slowing from 4.6 percent in the first. Greece, which traditionally issued data on a quarterly basis, began reporting monthly jobless figures this year. The data was based on a sample of 22,219 individuals, members of 9,238 households, the NSS said. The NSS added there were 403,365 people officially unemployed in Greece, while an estimated 4.529 million people had jobs. Unemployment has continued to decline annually from 9.9 percent in June 2004, the figures showed. But joblessness continues to affect women more than men. In June, female unemployment was 12.9 percent compared to 4.9 percent for men. (Reuters)
