Tourism takes over 107,000 off jobless list
A massive recruitment campaign, mainly in the sectors of tourism and food service, as well as a significant reduction in layoffs in April, emerge from the data of registered unemployment issued on a monthly basis by the Public Employment Service (DYPA).
The start of tourism flows seems to have been accompanied by significant hirings, which resulted in the registered unemployed falling to 927,793; they showed a decrease of 7.1% (70,529 fewer unemployed) compared to the corresponding month last year. The decrease reaches 107,787 people (-10.4%) if the comparison is made with March.
However, as high-ranking officials of the service estimate, there was also a drastic reduction in the number of unemployed people – i.e. fewer layoffs. This is how the steep reduction of the subsidized unemployed is explained, especially those who were employed in sectors of a seasonal nature.
In April those on the dole numbered only 55,438, a figure reduced by 139,927 compared to a month earlier (-71.6%), but also by 92,627 (-62.6%) compared to April 2022. This resulted in the subsidized unemployed falling far below 10% of the total unemployed and specifically making up only 5.9% of the registered jobless. DYPA data show that only 14,749 subsidized unemployed people come from the tourism sector (26.6% of the total), a decrease of 43,609 people compared to the previous month.
April this year can only be compared with April 2012, when the registered unemployed of the then OAED had reached 932,556 – i.e. they fluctuated around the same levels as this year.
This extremely positive image of the labor market, with numerous recruitments and reduced dismissals, is expected to improve further given the data announced by the DYPA administration in the previous days, according to which the registered unemployed had fallen to 858,321 people on May 16.
As for the qualitative data resulting from registered unemployment, women remain the hardest hit as they amount to 602,814, corresponding to a percentage of 65%, compared to 324,979 men (35.0%). Also, 32.9% of the unemployed are in the 30-44 age group, amounting to 305,630 people.
