Unemployment falls to 8.1% in May
Greece's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 8.1% in May, marking a further improvement in the country's labour market, according to figures released on Wednesday by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT).
The rate was down from a revised 8.7% in May 2025 and from a revised 9.1% recorded in April 2026.
ELSTAT said the number of unemployed people fell to 383,740 in May, a decrease of 29,643, or 7.2%, compared with the same month last year. On a monthly basis, unemployment declined by 48,028 people, representing an 11.1% drop from April.
Employment also continued to increase, with the number of people in work reaching 4,353,357, up by 20,712, or 0.5%, year-on-year and by 18,654, or 0.4%, compared with April.
Youth unemployment showed a notable improvement, with the jobless rate among people aged 15 to 24 falling to 16.8% from 20.7% a year earlier. Among those aged 25 to 74, unemployment eased to 7.6% from 8%.
By gender, however, trends were mixed. The unemployment rate among women rose to 11.7% in May from 10.6% a year earlier, while the rate for men declined to 5% from 7.2%.
ELSTAT also reported that the number of people under the age of 75 who were economically inactive—neither employed nor seeking work—stood at 2,979,634 in May. That figure was down by 24,552, or 0.8%, compared with May 2025, but increased by 25,121, or 0.9%, from the previous month.
