The Greek statistics authority ELSTAT revealed that the rate of unemployment in Greece during the third trimester (July – September) was 27%, which is a marginal improvement from the 27.1% rate in the April – June trimester.

In total there were 3,635,905 employed and 1,345,387 unemployed; employment increased by 0.1% compared to the second semester of 2013 and fell by 2.8% compared to the third trimester of 2012. Likewise unemployment was reduced by 0.4% compared to the second trimester of 2012, but increased by 9.3% compared to the third trimester of 2012.

ELSTAT’s data also shows that in the third trimester of 2013, 135,822 unemployed and a further 36,361 who were financially non-active (such as students) found a job. On the contrary, 170,584 lost their job and 87.692 are now non-active (such as pensioners). Additionally 126,724 of the financially non-active sought employment, but still remain unemployed.

The latest data also shows how unemployment affects women (31.3%) to a greater extent than it does men (23.8%). The highest rates of unemployment were reported in people aged 15-25: 57.2% for men and 62.8% for women. Unemployment is likely to affect those with higher education, with 39.6% of unemployed not having completed primary school studies, compared to a 15.7% rate for those with a doctorate degree.

Unemployment also affects foreigners more than it affects Greek people (36.6% versus 26.1%), while at the same time there is a greater rate of financially active foreigners (73.7%) than Greeks (51.7%). The greatest rates of unemployment were documented in Western Macedonia (32.3%) and Central Macedonia (30%), while the lowest rates were documented in the South Aegean (17%) and the Ionian Isles (12.9%).