Greece's unemployment rate has fallen to 7.9%, its lowest level in 18 years, Labor and Social Security Minister Niki Kerameos told the 57th "Career Day" job fair, where more than 100 companies offered over 2,500 positions.
Mrs. Kerameos told the two-day event at Thessaloniki's Pier C warehouse that unemployment has dropped from roughly 18% in recent years to 7.9%, adding that 563,000 people who were out of work in 2019 are now employed.
Citing recent Eurostat data, she said Greece posted the third-highest employment growth rate in Europe and its highest overall employment rate on record, at 72.2%, with female employment also hitting a historic high of 63.6%.
Asked whether the bar has now been raised after reaching record-low unemployment, Mrs. Kerameos said the government would keep pushing for "more and better-paying jobs," noting that low unemployment doesn't mean labor market problems have been solved.
She pointed to measures Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced at the Thessaloniki International Fair, including a further minimum wage increase.
Deputy Labor Minister Anna Efthymiou called the Career Days a highly successful institution that keeps expanding. Giana Chormova, head of the Public Employment Service (DYPA), which organizes the events, said this edition set a record for participation, with positions spanning all education levels and an emphasis on technical trades.
Ms. Chormova said past Career Days have reliably led to hires, and the agency plans to expand direct job-matching efforts going forward.