ELSTAT: Gradual decline in unemployment continues

The gradual decline of unemployment in Greece continued in the third quarter of 2017, but remains over 20 percent.

According to the latest data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority, unemployment receded to 20.2 percent in Q3, compared to 21.1 percent in previous quarter, and to 22.percent in the third quarter of 2016.

Employment increased by 0.9 percentage points in comparison with the second quarter of 2017, and by 2.3 percent as compared to the same quarter of 2016.

The number of unemployed was reduced by 4.6 percentage points compared to the second quarter, and by 11.2 percentage points compared to the same quarter of 2016.

In an interview yesterday with ERT 3 state television in Thessaloniki Alexis Tsipras boasted that unemployment stood at 27 percent when he took power in January, 2015, and has dropped to around 20 percent. But the new jobs have been largely part-time or seasonal employment.

There were 3.82 million Greeks with jobs in the third quarter of this year, and 970,000 unemployed.
The percentage of jobs that are part-time were 9.4 percent, while the percentage of temporary positions was 8.7 percent.

Part-time employment was down as compared to both the second quarter and the third quarter of 2016.

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