Greece unemployment data shows major gap between ELSTAT and DYPA

Significant discrepancies have emerged between the unemployment figures reported by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) and the Public Employment Service (DYPA) in Greece.

For June, ELSTAT reported an unemployment rate of 8%, representing 381,769 individuals. In contrast, DYPA recorded 672,293 registered unemployed persons, a difference of 290,524 people. This gap is attributed to differing methodologies and definitions rather than inaccurate reporting.

ELSTAT utilizes sample surveys and defines an employed person as anyone who worked at least one hour for pay during the survey week. This can result in undercounting the unemployed, as underemployed individuals or those in informal labor may be classified as employed. Conversely, DYPA counts individuals registered in its databases, which includes outdated or non-updated entries. Consequently, only about 56.8% of those registered with DYPA are identified as unemployed by ELSTAT's criteria.