Greece’s unemployment rate has fallen to 7.9%, its lowest level in more than a decade, with 86,000 new jobs created in the past year alone, the country's labor minister has announced.
In an interview with SKAI radio, Labor and Social Security Minister Niki Kerameos said the drop was the largest recorded among European Union member states since 2019, signaling a significant turnaround for a labor market long plagued by the country’s financial crisis.
“A worker in a country with 7.9% unemployment is much stronger because they have many options,” Ms. Kerameos said, highlighting a shift in the labor market that has strengthened the bargaining power of employees.
She added that it is now often easier for job seekers to find work than for businesses to find qualified staff.
In another significant milestone, the minister reported that the unemployment rate for women has fallen into single digits for the first time in recent memory.
While acknowledging that challenges remain in tackling long-term joblessness, Ms. Kerameos said the government is actively working to boost employment through career days and outreach programs aimed at encouraging Greeks who left during the crisis to return.
The new figures are the latest sign of Greece’s steady economic recovery, which has seen the country regain investment-grade status and attract a surge of foreign capital in recent years.