Unemployment

Economists at Greek banks expect the economy to contract between 10.5% and 15% in the first quarter of this year, with the extent of the recession to be determined by how long retail stores remain open, they say. However, the economy will stage a strong recovery in the latter half of the year, taking the sum of 2021 well into positive territory.

Greece's unemployment rate stayed put at 16.7% in October 2020, according to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), while employment posted a 0.3% annual increase, the figures it issued on Friday showed.

All unemployment benefits expiring this month are set to get a two-month extension. The measure is being studied by the Finance Ministry along with the extension of contract suspensions and the "Syn-Ergasia" social security contribution subsidy program that has already been lengthened by law until the end of February.

Distance work as a means of employment will not disappear after the coronavirus pandemic and will be developing not only in innovative industries, but in the real production sector, too, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said in a video message to the participants in the Gaidar Forum, which opened on Thursday.

The unemployment rate in Turkey was 12.7% in October, falling 0.7 percentage points year-on-year, the country's statistical institute announced on Jan. 11. 

Ljubljana – The Covid-19 epidemic has left a mark on the Slovenian labour market as a total of 87,283 persons were registered as unemployed at the Employment Service at the end of December 2020, which is up 15.9% year on year, and 3.7% more than at the end of November last year.

The newly registered unemployed across Bulgaria were a little under 380,000 between February 3 and the end of December 2020, according to the latest data of the specialized weekly labour market survey of the National Statistical Institute and the Employment Agency occasioned by Covid-19 pandemic. Over the same period, 235,000 people have found jobs through the labour offices.

Ljubljana – The provision allowing employers to unilaterally terminate workers once they have met formal conditions for retirement, passed within the latest stimulus package in parliament on Tuesday, continues to raise dust as trade unions label it inadmissible and clear abuse of crisis legislation. Employer representatives are meanwhile welcoming it.

Ljubljana – The latest economic stimulus law, passed by the National Assembly on Tuesday, brings a series of income support transfers for groups including employees, pensioners, students and families.

EMPLOYEES