Jobless rate lower for non-Greeks
The jobless rate among foreign nationals in Greece stands at 6.3 percent, more than two percentage points below the national average, according to data presented yesterday. A survey conducted by the National Statistical Service (NSS) on labor market conditions in Greece for non-Greek nationals and their children found that 24,806 were out of work but actively seeking employment. The figure is lower than the national average, which has been rising rapidly as the economy grinds to a halt under the weight of the global crisis. Greece’s jobless rate in May jumped to 8.5 percent from 6.6 percent in the same month last year and is tipped by think tank IOBE to average out at 9.5 percent for the year. The NSS found that 54 percent of foreign nationals have primary school education with another 24 percent having attended secondary school. Just over 11 percent have completed tertiary education. The job market appears to be more difficult in the case of people whose parents were both born abroad, even though they have received a better education, as 14.2 percent of them reported being out of work. The survey was held in the second quarter of the year with the participation of 55,733 people between the ages of 15 and 74.
