Social justice

The Supreme Court has sent shockwaves through higher education with a landmark decision that struck down affirmative action and left colleges across the nation searching for new ways to promote student diversity.

The new Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family will work on "strengthening the family" and on the "harmonization that must exist between professional and family life," its first minister has said.

Sofia Zacharaki was speaking at the handover ceremony at the former Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, which will be split in two to create the new ministry.

Employment in Greece has been growing at an impressive pace in recent months, with data from the Public Employment Service (DYPA) showing that in May, the number of registered unemployed decreased drastically, reaching pre-crisis levels, almost the same as in May 2011.

Registered unemployment fell 7.8% in May, totaling 854,181, compared with May 2022 and fell by 7.9% in comparison with April 2023, public employment service DYPA said in a report on Tuesday.

More specifically, 507,209 people, or 59.4% of total unemployed are long-term unemployed, while unemployed men accounted for 292,389 (34.2%) and women 561,792 (65.8%).

Greece's unemployment rate eased to 11.8% of the workforce in the first quarter of 2023, from 11.9% in the fourth quarter of 2022 and 13.8% in the corresponding period last year, the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) reported on Thursday.

Management consultants are more optimistic over the course of the Greek economy, the Hellenic Association of Management Consulting Firms (SESMA) said in a report released on Monday.

The GRe+1 index rose to 42.6% in the first quarter of 2023 from 30.6% in the fourth quarter of 2022, and 26.8% in the corresponding period last year.

Türkiye's unemployment rate inched up from 10.1 percent in March to 10.2 percent in April, the data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) have shown.

The number of unemployed people increased by 74,000 from March to 3.89 million in April.

The unemployment rate among men was 8.1 percent, and among women was 14.3 percent.

Greek unemployment rate fell to 11.2% of the workforce in April, from 12.7% in April 2022, but slightly up from 11.1% in March 2023, the country's independent Statistical Authority said on Thursday.

The number of unemployed people totaled 527,706 in April, down 11.9% from April 2022, but up 0.9% from March 2023.

Unemployment remains high, but DYPA employment counselors are finding it very difficult to meet the demands of businesses or staff training programs.

A massive recruitment campaign, mainly in the sectors of tourism and food service, as well as a significant reduction in layoffs in April, emerge from the data of registered unemployment issued on a monthly basis by the Public Employment Service (DYPA).