Hellenic Statistical Authority

Travel agents and tour operators saw their turnover grow 23% in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the same period last year said the Hellenic Statistical Authority on Monday. A report by ELSTAT showed that the ground transport turnover index fell by 3.9% in the January – March period whereas the sea transport turnover index fell 5.2% and the air transport index rose 3.1%.

By Roula Salourou

The Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) announced on Thursday that the country?s unemployment rate in March was marginally lower than a year earlier, but also at the same level as in February 2015, according to the seasonally adjusted figures.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March of 2015 reached 25.6%, compared to the downward-revised 26.9% of March 2014, and the upwards-revised 25.6% of February 2015, according to the Hellenic Statistical Authority.

Unemployment in Greece stood at 25.6 percent in March, unchanged compared to the previous month, the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) announced on Thursday.

The unemployment figure for March was lower than the 26.9 percent figure recorded the same month last year.

Traffic accidents in the month of March decreased by 13.1 percent compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), but the number of the people that died on the streets of the country rose by 18.8 percent.

 Country?s economy contracted 0.2 percent in the first quarter of the year compared to Q4 of 2014

The Greek economy returned to recession in the first quarter of 2015, according to data by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) at noon on Wednesday. The figures show 0.2% recession. Simultaneously, the forecast for development has been cut to 0.3% as the European Commission in its spring assessment for Greece estimated 0.5% growth with the government expecting development at 1%.

Exports excluding fuel products recorded an impressive performance in March thanks to the major drop in the euro?s exchange rates. They registered the biggest growth of the last 27 months with their value amounting to 1.633 billion euros, which was 20.7 percent above the figure for March 2014, according to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT).

The decline in oil rates has contributed to the further fall in construction material prices and the cost of building new residential properties, according to data released on Friday by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT).

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had ?constructive and positive? talks on the sidelines of an immigration summit in Brussels on Thursday, Greek government sources said, noting that there was a ?convergence of views? on the level of Greece?s primary surplus target this year and next year and as regards privatizations.