Mitsotakis: Unemployment drop in 2019-2022 greatest in EU
Greece achieved the greatest drop in unemployment in the European Union, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told MPs on Wednesday, during a debate on the government’s new jobs bill.
“Despite great obstacles, data shows that our efforts are paying off: from the summer of 2019 to February 2022, unemployment dropped from 17.2% to 12.8%. It’s the greatest drop in Europe, and means that over 200,000 new jobs were created and we surpassed the threshold of 4 million employed.”
Mitsotakis noted however that the improvement in the job figures was not a cause for celebration, as Greece continues to have the second highest unemployment rate in Europe after Spain, “and a chronic problem of low wages.”
The government tried to resolve the rise in household expenditures that resulted from energy price hikes, the premier said, noting that a €200 subsidy for low-income families will be disbursed starting next week, while the government’s pledge to increase the minimum wage for a second time this year will take effect on May 1.
The prime minister said that the bill on boosting employment was an attempt to refocus on linking the needs of businesses with specialized services offers, and upgrade skills in order to distinguish between those who really need state support and those who need to improve their skill sets.
Voting on the bill will take place on Thursday. [AMNA]
