Unemployment in Greece stood at 8.3% in the fourth quarter of 2025, up slightly from 8.2% in the previous quarter but down from 9.5% in the same period of 2024, according to data released by ELSTAT—the Hellenic Statistical Authority.
The total number of unemployed individuals reached 394,894—representing a 0.4% increase compared to the third quarter of 2025 and a 12.1% decline year-on-year.
Gender breakdown shows unemployment at 10.8% among women and 6.3% among men in Q4 2025.
Age and regional disparities
Youth unemployment remains markedly higher: 19.9% among those aged 15–19 and 17.3% for those aged 20–24. Rates decline with age—14.7% for 25–29-year-olds, 8.3% for 30–44-year-olds, 6.2% for 45–64-year-olds, and 6.0% for those aged 65 and over.
Regionally, unemployment is highest in Western Macedonia (15.1%), followed by Central Macedonia (11.8%) and Epirus (10.7%). Other regions include Western Greece (10.2%), Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (9.4%), Thessaly (8.1%), Peloponnese (7.8%), Crete (6.9%), Attica (6.8%), Central Greece (6.4%), North Aegean (5.4%), South Aegean (5.2%), and the Ionian Islands (4.5%).
Labour market characteristics
According to ELSTAT’s Labour Force Survey, the most common reason unemployed people stopped working was the expiration of a fixed-term contract (33.8%). Meanwhile, 18.6% of the unemployed have never held a job—classified as ‘new entrants’ to the labour market.
Nearly six in ten unemployed individuals (58%) have been seeking work for one year or longer—meeting the definition of long-term unemployment.
Over half (58%) of the unemployed have completed up to upper secondary education. Around one in five (20.4%) are not registered with the Public Employment Service (DYPA, formerly OAED), while 15.1% report receiving unemployment benefits or support from DYPA.
Employment trends
Total employment stood at 4,352,366 people—a 1.1% drop from the previous quarter but a 1.7% rise compared to Q4 2024.
In Q4 2025, 72.5% of employed individuals worked as wage earners, while 17.4% were self-employed without employees. Part-time employment accounted for 5.3% of all jobs—up 6.3% quarter-on-quarter but down 3.6% year-on-year.
Temporary employment represented 8.9% of total jobs—down 16.6% from the previous quarter but up 16.7% compared to Q4 2024.
The largest occupational groups were service workers and sales staff (22.6%) and professionals (22.1%). The biggest quarterly growth was seen among technicians and related occupations (+4.8%), while the steepest decline occurred among senior managers and executives—as well as among service and sales staff.