WASHINGTON: The Greek unemployment rate eased to 23 pct of the workforce in November 2016, from 24.5 pct in November 2015, but unchanged compared with October 2016, Hellenic Statistical Authority said on Thursday. The statistics service, in a report, said that the number of unemployed people totaled 1,100,118 in November, but the unemployment rate grew by two points in the 55-64 age group within 12 months. The number of unemployed people fell by 76,455 compared with November 2015 (a decline of 6.5 pct) and by 1,768 compared with October 2016 (a decline of 0.2 pct). The number of employed people was 3,683,795 people, up 49,141 or 1.4 pct compared with November 2015 but down 1,338 from October 2016. The number of economically-non active people (out of work and not seeking a job) was 3,252,309 in November, down by 6,710 compared with November 2015 but up 3,103 from October 2016.
The unemployment rate among women was 27.5 pct and among men 19.4 pct (down from 28.7 pct and 21.1 pct from November 2015, respectively). The 15-24 age group recorded the highest unemployment rate (45.7 pct in November 2016 from 48.9 pct in November 2015), followed by the 25-34 age group (29.9 pct from 31.8 pct), the 35-44 age group (19.3 pct from 21.6 pct), the 55-64 age group (19.3 pct from 17.3 pct), the 45-54 age group (18.7 pct from 19.7 pct) and the 65-74 age group (12.4 pct from 11 pct). Among the country’s regions, Epirus-Western Macedonia (27.2 pct from 27.4 pct) recorded the highest unemployment rate, followed by Macedonia-Thrace (24.4 pct from 24.9 pct), Thessaly-Central Greece (23.9 pct from 27.8 pct), the Peloponese-Western Greece-Ionian Islands (23.6 pct from 24.2 pct), Attica (22.6 pct from 24.1 pct), Crete (20.5 pct from 25.7 pct) and Aegean (15.8 pct from 13.2 pct).
