Greece's jobless rate dropped to 12.5% in May from an upwardly revised 12.6% in the previous month, data from statistics service ELSTAT showed on Thursday.

Seasonally adjusted data showed 596,056 people were officially unemployed, with those under the age of 24 years the hardest hit.

The jobless rate for people aged 15 to 24 dropped to 30.1% in May from 37.1% in the same month in 2021.

After hitting a record high of 27.8% in September 2013, Greece's jobless rate has been falling but it remains the highest in the euro zone.

Unemployment affected women more than men, with the respective rates in May at 16.5% and 9.2%.

Greece's economy expanded in January-to-March at a faster pace compared with last year's fourth quarter, showing resilience, but its growth rate decelerated on an annual basis. (Reporting by George Georgiopoulos; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)


Reuters