Early Easter boosts job hirings

The earlier-than-usual start to the tourism season ? thanks to Orthodox Easter falling in the first half of April ? helped the labor market to post a slight recovery last month, with the Labor Ministry?s Ergani hiring register showed a net rise of 22,313 jobs in March.

According to the register?s hiring and departure data, hiring announcements amounted to 118,753 last month while departures, voluntary or otherwise, numbered 96,440. March was the second month in succession to show a positive balance following five straight months of falling employment in the private sector, after the end of last year?s high season for tourism.

In total, hirings over the first quarter of this year amounted to 308,727 and departures reached 280,563, so that the balance of salaried employment in Q1 produced a surplus of 28,164 jobs.

This marginal improvement is confirmed by the latest data on the registered unemployed released by the Manpower Organization (OAED): In February there was a small decline in the number of jobless from January, of 4,537 people, but the total number of unemployed remains dramatically high, at 1,061,221, of whom just 14.4 percent receive unemployment benefits, as the majority are classed as long-term unemployed (jobless for at least 12 months).