Unemployment recorded a new significant decline in July. For the second time in 2026 the seasonally adjusted rate, according to data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority, broke the 8% barrier, falling to 7.9%.
The last time, before this year, that the unemployment rate was below 8%, at 7.7%, was in November 2007. Since then, it has climbed and exceeded 28% (28.2% in July 2013). It began the significant correction in the post-Covid era and within the current year it is recording rates around 8%.
In July, according to ELSTAT data, unemployment fell to 7.9%, from 8.9% last June and 8.1% in July 2025, confirming the continued improvement in labor market conditions. The decline is not only in percentage terms, but is also reflected in the number of unemployed.
In July, 376,508 unemployed people were recorded, or 45,192 fewer than in the same month last year, with the decrease reaching 10.7%. Compared to June, the unemployed decreased by 7,968 people or 2.1%.
Employment moved upward, as it totaled 4,379,823, up 41,365 or 1% from July 2025. On a monthly basis, the increase was marginal, with 1,692 employed. Over the same period there has also been a reduction in the number of people out of the labor force.
