Greece unemployment blow

  Posted on » Friday, August 10, 2012

ATHENS: Greece's jobless rate climbed to a new record in May, underlining how austerity prescribed to slash deficits and keep bailout funds flowing is hitting the economy on which recovery depends.

Latest data yesterday showed the jobless rate climbed to 23.1 per cent, with nearly 55pc of those aged 15-24 out of work.

The gloomy data coincided with news that the government plans to revive a labour reserve measure targeting 40,000 public servants for eventual dismissal, in a drive to achieve 11.5 billion euros in savings promised to international lenders.

Government officials citing this scheme said Athens also intends to shed tens of thousands of temporary contract workers by streamlining its needs across ministries and state entities.

Unemployment in Greece is already more than twice the average rate in the 17 countries sharing the euro and nearly as bad as in Spain where the jobless rate registered 24.6pc in the second quarter.

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