The gender pay gap between men and women in Greece has narrowed recently, yet unemployment among women is still higher than the European Union average, according to data released yesterday.

A report from Eurostat, the statistical arm of the European Union, showed that the jobless rate among women in Greece is currently at 15.5 percent compared to 9.6 percent in the 25-nation bloc.

The difference is attributed partly to the fact that more part-time jobs are generally available in other EU countries.

Recent data shows that Greek women were paid 10 percent less than their male counterparts in 2004 as opposed to 13 percent in 1999.

Greeks are also having less children that their EU peers. The Greek birth rate hovers at 1.29 children per woman compared to the EU average of 1.5, the report said.