Unemployment in Greece at 11.6% in Q3 2022

The number of persons employed amounted to 4,216,038, recording an increase by 1.2% compared to the previous quarter and an increase by 2.4% compared to the same quarter of the previous year, according to the Hellenic Statistical Authority-ELSTAT.

The number of unemployed persons amounted to 555,567, recording a decrease by 6.1% compared to the previous quarter and a decrease by 9.7% compared to the same quarter of the previous year. The unemployment rate for the third quarter of 2022 was 11.6%. The unemployment rate was 12.4% in the previous quarter (2022 Q2) and 13.0 % in the corresponding quarter of the
previous year (2021 Q3).

The number of persons outside the labour force, i.e., the persons who are neither working nor looking for a job, amounted to 4,276,631. In particular, persons outside the labour force under the
age of 75, amounted to 3,060,938. Their share decreased by 0.7 % compared with the previous quarter and by 2.2% compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

The highest unemployment rates are observed among women, persons aged up to 24 years, in the Region of Dytiki Makedonia (Western Macedonia), and persons that have completed less than primary education.

The highest percentage of the labour force is observed among men, persons aged 30 – 44 years, in the Region Notio Aigaio (Southern Aegean), persons that have completed post-secondary education and persons of foreign citizenship

In the 3rd quarter of 2022, the majority of the employed are working as employees (70.3%), whereas a significant share is working as self-employed without employees (19.1%).
Part-time employment amounts to 7.2%, while the share of persons with temporary jobs is 8.2%. Part-time employment has decreased in comparison with the previous quarter (-12.8%) and compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year (-8.9%). Temporary jobs have increased compared to the previous quarter (5.3%) as well as to the corresponding quarter of the previous year (3.9%).

The sectors with most employment

The occupations gathering the biggest shares of the employed are service workers and shop and market sale workers (22.5%) and professionals (21.4%). In comparison with the previous quarter the largest increase occurs for elementary occupations, and for technicians and associate professionals (5.8% and 3.8%, respectively) while a decrease is observed in professionals (-0.9%). In comparison with the same quarter of 2021, the largest increase occurs in professionals and in elementary occupations (10.0% and 9.0%, respectively) while a decrease is observed in technicians and associate professionals (-6.7%) and in  clerks (-2,7%).

As of the 1st quarter 2011, an increase in the share of low skilled non-manual occupations is observed while the share of skilled manual occupations decreases which, however, is increased since 2021. The share of highly skilled non-manual occupations increased slightly while the share of elementary occupations remainsrelatively stable since 2011. Finally, the share of workers in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishing has been declining since 2014 while recording an increase in the first two quarters of 2021.

The unemployed

Most unemployed persons report as main reason for stopping their last job that it was a job of limited duration (30.6%) or they were dismissed (17.3%). The share of the unemployed that have not worked in the past amounts to 25.0% .

The majority of the unemployed (62.9%) have been seeking a job for one year or more (long-term unemployed). 58.9% of the unemployed have completed up to secondary education. 17.8% of the unemployed report that they are not registered at the public employment office (OAED), while 12.0% report that they receive a benefit or assistance from the public employment office