Jobless rate jumps in June
Greece’s unemployment rate rose to 7.3 percent in June from 6.6 percent in May, National Statistics Service (NSS) data showed yesterday. Economists said the spike is due to economic weakness affecting the labor market with further pressure expected in the coming months. Economic growth slowed to an annual 3.5 percent pace in the second quarter and economists said the jobless rate might stall at current levels for a few months. The rise in the June rate brought the Greek figure in line with the eurozone’s unemployment rate of 7.3 percent in the same month. The country’s jobless rate has been declining since 2004, when it stood at 11.2 percent. The NSS said there were 359,978 people officially unemployed in June, while an estimated 4.55 million had jobs. Unemployment continued to affect women more than men. In June, unemployment among the female population was 10.7 percent compared with 5.0 percent for men. It was much higher for people in the 15-24 age group, at 22.3 percent.
