Greece unemployment climbs to 10.6% in Q1 2026; EU green jobs jump 79% in renewables

Greek labour market data released by ELSTAT show unemployment rose to 10.6% in the first quarter of 2026, up from 8.3% in the previous quarter and 10.4% a year earlier. The number of unemployed reached 508,401, an increase of 28.7% versus the prior quarter and 4.2% year‑on‑year. Women’s unemployment stood at 13.9% and men’s at 7.9%, with the highest rates among 15‑19‑year‑olds (35%).

At the EU level, green employment reached 5.8 million full‑time‑equivalent jobs in 2023. Green construction grew from 0.7 million to 1.6 million jobs (average 11% annual growth). Employment in renewable energy doubled, rising 79% from 0.4 million to 0.8 million full‑time equivalents. Waste‑management was the largest sector with 0.9 million positions, representing 16% of total environmental employment. The data coincide with the EU Green Week and the World Environment Day celebrations.