10.4% rose unemployment in the first quarter

Above the 10% threshold was reinstated in the first quarter of the year unemployment in Greece, according to data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority’s Labor Research (ELSTAT).

In particular, the unemployment rate for the first three months of the year rose to 10.4% from 9.5% in the fourth quarter of 2024, however, remaining well below 12.1% where it was in the first quarter of the previous year.

More specifically, the number of employees amounted to 4,216,757 people decreased by 1.4% compared to the previous quarter and an increase of 1.0% compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

At the same time, the number of unemployed amounted to 488,085 people, increasing 8.7% compared to the previous quarter and a decrease of 15.0% compared to the corresponding quarter of 2024.

People who are not included in the workforce, or “people outside the workforce”, that is, people who do not work or seek work, amounted to 4,301,807. In particular, individuals outside the workforce under 75 years, amounted to 3,065,957, with its number increased by 0.5% compared to the previous quarter and 0.6% compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

The highest unemployment rates are observed in women, in people up to 15-19 years, in the Ionian Islands Region and in people who have completed up to a few elementary classes. The highest percentage of workforce is observed in men, in people aged 30-44, in the Attica Region, in people who have completed higher education and in people of foreign citizenship.

The characteristics of employed

Regarding the characteristics of the employees, according to ELSTAT data, in the first quarter of 2025, the largest work as employees (71.3%), and the percentage of self -employed persons (18.6%) is also important.

It is interesting, however, that the part -time rate rose to 5.9%, up 4.2% compared to the previous quarter. Compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year, of course, it decreases by 23.6%.

Regarding the percentage of people who have temporary work stood at 7.7%, recording a 4.5% decrease compared to the previous quarter and a 1.8% decrease compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

The occupations that collect the largest percentage of employees are professionals (23.8%) and services employees and sellers (22.0%).

Compared to the previous quarter, there is an increase in technicians and practitioners related professions (4.2%) and professionals (2.9%), while the highest decrease in specialized farmers, breeders, forests and fishermen (-8.2%).

Compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year, the largest increase is observed in professionals (8.7%), while the largest decrease in specialized farmers, breeders, forests and fishermen (-14.2%).

In terms of the development of the distribution of the crowd of wide groups of professions, it is observed that since the first quarter of 2014, the percentage of non -manual occupations of low specialization – a trend that is reversed to some extent from 2021, with the percentage of employees, has increased by 2021.

Similarly, the percentage of highly specialized non -specialized professions follows a growth after 2017, with fluctuations, while the percentage of employees in elementary occupations remains stable. The percentage of employees in agriculture, forestry, livestock and fishing has been down from 2014.

From the development of the percentage of wide -ranging economic activity during the first quarter 2014 – 1st quarter 2025, there are large fluctuations in the percentage of those working in the field of trade, transport and communications, hotels and catering. After 2022, there is also a decrease in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector, an increase in the percentage of those working in the construction sectors, while stabilizing trends are observed in industry-energy sectors and financial and business activities.

In terms of working hours, 48.0% of employees said they worked 40 – 47 hours a week, while a significant percentage (14.7%) said they worked 48 or more hours. The majority of employees (69.8%) say they worked at ordinary hours during the reference week.

6.9% of employees say they would like to work longer hours, 2.0% are part -time under -employed who would like to work more and could start working more in the next two weeks, while 1.4% have more than one job.

The radiography of the unemployed

Regarding the characteristics of the unemployed, the research data shows that the main reason for the unemployed to work is because their work was limited and ended (37.3%).

The percentage of unemployed who have not worked in the past (new unemployed) is 19.6% and is reduced by 27.2% annually, while the percentage of unemployed jobs one year or more (long -term unemployed) is 50.7%.

The majority of the unemployed have completed until secondary education (63.1%).

Finally, the percentage of the unemployed who declare that they are not registered with DBA (formerly OAED) is 22.1%, while the percentage of those who declare that they receive an allowance or aid from the
DEPA is 17.4%. Higher unemployment rates are not observed in the Ionian Islands Region and in the region
South Aegean, and the lowest in the region of Thessaly.

Off -job market

Finally, with regard to the characteristics of individuals outside the workforce, the majority of 15-74 years of age, has never worked in the past (46.2%) or have spent more than 8 years since he stopped his last job (28.5%).

Of the people who worked in the last 8 years, the largest
Percentage stopped working because it retired (54.4%) or because their work was limited and ended (21.1%).

Particularly interesting is that 91.0% of people outside the workforce say they do not want to work, while only 2.3% say they are looking for a job but is not immediately available to take over and only 3.5% said it is available to undertake work immediately but not looking.