Greek Minister of State Akis Skertsos announced that Greece's unemployment rate fell to 8 percent in June 2026, closing in on the eurozone average.
Citing figures from the European Union statistics agency Eurostat, Skertsos reported that the number of unemployed individuals in Greece dropped to 382,000. That marks a sharp decline from June 2019, when the nation suffered from the highest unemployment rate in the European Union at 17 percent, with 805,000 people out of work.
The new data shows Greece's unemployment rate is now less than two percentage points above the eurozone average of 6.3 percent. Seven years earlier, Greece trailed the eurozone average by 10 percentage points.
Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Union, based in Luxembourg, which tracks official economic metrics across member states. Akis Skertsos serves as Minister of State in the cabinet of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who leads the governing New Democracy party.
Skertsos stated that the key point was not merely that Greece was in a better position than in 2019, but that its position on the European employment map had fundamentally shifted. Greece now records a lower overall unemployment rate than four EU member states: Finland at 10.8 percent, Spain at 10.1 percent, Sweden at 8.7 percent, and France at 8.2 percent.
Demographic breakdown of unemployment figures
The Eurostat breakdown indicates significant gains across specific demographic groups. The unemployment rate for men in Greece dropped to 6 percent in June 2026, down from 13.9 percent in 2019, bringing it virtually in line with the European average of 5.9 percent.
Greece now reports a lower male unemployment rate than 11 other EU countries. These include Finland at 11 percent, Spain at 9 percent, Sweden at 8.8 percent, France at 8.6 percent, Lithuania at 7.9 percent, Luxembourg at 6.9 percent, Denmark at 6.6 percent, Estonia at 6.6 percent, Belgium at 6.4 percent, Romania at 6.3 percent, and Austria at 6.1 percent.
Youth unemployment among workers under 25 years old fell to 19.5 percent in Greece, down from 35.5 percent recorded in 2019. The country now has lower youth joblessness than six European nations: Sweden at 24.9 percent, Spain at 23.4 percent, Finland at 23.2 percent, Estonia at 22.7 percent, France at 21.1 percent, and Luxembourg at 20.8 percent.
For women, the unemployment rate in Greece fell to 10.4 percent, compared to 20.9 percent in 2019. Spain currently records the highest female unemployment rate in Europe at 11.3 percent.
Government policies and structural challenges
Despite the overall decline, Skertsos acknowledged that structural challenges persist. Employment rates among women and young people in Greece remain lower than broader European levels.
To address these gaps, the Greek government is executing targeted active labor market policies. Key initiatives include tax incentives for young workers, expanded vouchers for nursery schools, the institutionalisation of two-year preschool education, and the Neighborhood Nannies assistance program.
The announcement coincided with a visit by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to the region of Western Macedonia, located in northern Greece, where the prime minister highlighted ongoing government development projects.
Skertsos concluded that the administration remains focused on building a labour market that is more European, fairer, and provides higher incomes for all citizens. He also cited ongoing efforts by Minister of Labour and Social Security Niki Kerameus and Secretary General for Labour Relations Nikos Milapidis in guiding these reforms.
