Greece’s Minister of State, Akis Skertsos, has taken to social media to analyze the latest Eurostat data for June 2026 on the European labor market. Among his key observations, he highlights that unemployment in Greece now stands at 8%, down sharply from 17% in 2019 — a remarkable improvement that marks a significant convergence with European benchmarks.
Read also: Unemployment: Registered jobseekers fall by 10.1% in July 2026 — what the latest DYPA data shows
In 2019, Greece had the highest unemployment rate in the EU
According to Minister Skertsos, in June 2019 Greece recorded the highest overall unemployment rate in the European Union at 17%, with 805,000 people out of work. Seven years later, in June 2026, that figure has fallen to 8%, with the number of unemployed dropping to 382,000. Greece now sits less than two percentage points above the eurozone average of 6.3% — a stark contrast to the 10-point gap recorded in 2019.
“The key takeaway is not simply that Greece is in a better position than in 2019, but that its place on Europe’s employment map has fundamentally changed,” the Minister of State noted. He pointed out that Greece now performs better than four EU member states with higher overall unemployment rates: Finland (10.8%), Spain (10.1%), Sweden (8.7%), and France (8.2%).
Breakdown by category
Based on the Eurostat data presented by the Minister of State:
Male unemployment: The jobless rate among men in Greece has fallen to 6% — down from 13.9% in 2019 — and has now essentially converged with the European average of 5.9%. Greece now outperforms 11 EU countries: Finland (11%), Spain (9%), Sweden (8.8%), France (8.6%), Lithuania (7.9%), Luxembourg (6.9%), Denmark (6.6%), Estonia (6.6%), Belgium (6.4%), Romania (6.3%), and Austria (6.1%).
Youth unemployment (under 25): The rate has dropped to 19.5%, down from 35.5% in 2019, with Greece now performing better than six European countries: Sweden (24.9%), Spain (23.4%), Finland (23.2%), Estonia (22.7%), France (21.1%), and Luxembourg (20.8%).
Female unemployment: The rate has declined to 10.4%, down from 20.9% in 2019, while Spain now records the highest female unemployment rate in Europe at 11.3%.
Remaining challenges and active labor market policies
The Minister of State acknowledged that, despite the steady progress, challenges remain — particularly regarding the structurally lower employment rates among women and young people compared to the rest of Europe.
To address these gaps, he outlined a series of targeted active labor market policies currently in place, including:
– Tax incentives for young workers.
– Expanded childcare vouchers for nurseries and daycare centers.
– The institutionalization of two-year pre-primary education.
– The “Neighborhood Nannies” program.
“We are pressing forward toward a labor market that is more European, fairer, and delivers better incomes for everyone,” the Minister concluded in his post.
