Decline in unemployment

The Greek labor market expanded in December, by almost 20.000 new salaried jobs, according to Labor Ministry “Ergani” data.  Minister Yiannis Vroutsis expressed optimism that unemployment will start contracting within 2014.

Employment index has moved up since last Spring (April 2013). Vroutsis is confident that this trend, through further promotion of policies against uninsured and undeclared labor, will continue and that a further decline in unemployment will be recorded this year.

The number of hirings exceeded sackings by 19.999 last month.  Moreover,109.797 people found a salaried job while 89.798 lost one. December was the eighth month last year during which hirings outnumbered sackings. “Ergani” registered 1.149.194 hirings throughout the year, a 35.2 percent increase since 2012.

“The labor market is stabilizing and the growth rate of unemployment is in constant decline. From 44.4 percent in June 2012 it fell to just 5.9 percent in September 2013,” stated Vroutsis.