Unemployment in Greece reached 10 percent in December, but for immigrants it has gone up to nearly 12 percent, according to the Greek National Service of Statistics.
With the lingering economic crisis, unemployment has gone up for all workers in Greece, but it has hit Albanians and other immigrant groups hardest.
Unemployment in Greece reached 10.2 percent in December, up from 7.5 percent a year ago, but for immigrants it has gone up to nearly 12 percent, according to the latest figures published by the Greek National Service of Statistics.
And with Albanians being the largest immigrant group in Greece, the numbers have special significance for Albania.
In addition, the deep recession in Greece is taking away job stability and flexibility from immigrants more than anyone else, according to Greek economic experts.
Greek Labor Minister Andreas Lloverdhos told the media in the neighboring country that unemployment will reach 12 percent in the general the workforce by the end of the year, which means that immigrants will likely see an even higher number.
“The development of higher unemployment among immigrants is due to a serious fall mainly in two basic branches of the economy where they work – construction and tourism,” Athens University Professor Savas Robolis told the Albanian section of the German public broadcaster DW.
Robolis, who also serves as scientific director of the Institute of Labor, added, “If the recession continues in these two branches for 2010 and 2011, there will certainly be a further increase in unemployment for immigrants as well as for the Greek-born work force.”
Greek economic experts are suggesting that unemployment will get back to pre-crisis levels only in 2015, which is far too long for most immigrants.
So are they leaving? Robolis told DW so far there is no large detectable trend but things might change in the future.
