Jobless rate starts picking up again

By Roula Salourou

Greek unemployment started to rise again in December following 14 months of gradual decline, reaching 26 percent according to figures released on Thursday by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT).

The number of employed people declined by 24,453 from November 2014, while the jobless number posted a marginal decline of just 296. That brought about a small increase in the unemployment rate from November?s 25.9 percent. In December 2013 the rate had come to 27.3 percent.

The negative signs had first emerged from the Ergani register figures supplied by the Labor Ministry, showing a negative flow in employment in the last few months of 2014.

The unemployment rate had peaked at 28 percent in September 2013 before starting its decline in October 2013, with only February and April 2014 showing no change to the seasonally adjusted rate.