Registered unemployment up 9.16% in December

Page last updated at 18:00 GMT, Monday, January 21, 2013 - 23:00 EST

AMNA -- Registered unemployment grew 9.16 pct in December 2012, compared with the same month in 2011, and by 1.44 pct from November 2012, the Workforce Employment Organization (OAED) said on Monday.

In a report, OAED said that the number of registered unemployed people totaled 797,578 in December, with the Southern Aegean region recording the highest percentage increase (11.89 pct) in the month. The percentage of unemployed men was 42.28 pct (337,242) in December with unemployed women totaling 460,336 (57.72 pct). Long-term unemployment was 42.27 pct (337,100), while people seeking jobs in the Attica region accounted for 36.5 pct of total unemployment, followed by Central Macedonia with 19.53 pct.

Unemployed people receiving unemployment benefit rose to 234,455 in December, up 9.27 pct from November, although it was slightly down compared with December 2011.

Unemployed people in the 30-54 age group accounted for 64.24 pct of all unemployed, the below-30 age group accounted for 25.56 pct and the over-55 age group accounted for 10.21 pct.

New hirings totaled 49,494 in December, up 10.98 pct from December 2011, but down 27.07 pct from November 2012, while dismissals totaled 51,751, down 1.01 pct from December 2011 and down 36.26 pct from November 2012.