Greece created more than 563,000 new jobs between December 2019 and December 2025, while full-time employment rose sharply and wages continued to increase, according to the annual ERGANI labour market report for 2025 released by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
The ministry reported that unemployment fell to 7.5% in December 2025, down from 9.4% in December 2024, marking the lowest level in 18 years and the second-lowest unemployment rate in Greece’s recorded history. Data from the ERGANI Integrated Information System confirmed a steady upward trend in salaried employment and earnings.
Labour and Social Security Minister Niki Kerameus said government labour policies had delivered tangible results.
“Our policies on employment and our actions to increase jobs and strengthen citizens’ disposable income are delivering immediate and positive outcomes,” Kerameus said. “In 2026, we will continue working to create more and higher-quality jobs, aiming to remain effective and useful to citizens with every initiative we take.”
Full-Time Employment Expansion
According to the ministry, full-time employment increased to 78.5% in 2025, up from 76.4% in 2024. Employers hired 106,047 additional full-time workers during the year.
In 2019, full-time employment stood at approximately 69%, meaning it has risen by 9.3 percentage points since then. As a result, 557,925 more employees now work full-time compared with 2019.
Gender Employment Gap Narrows
The report showed a continued narrowing of the gender gap in salaried employment. The difference between male and female employees fell to 3.6 percentage points in 2025, compared with 6.7 points in 2019. Men accounted for 51.81% of salaried workers, while women represented 48.19%.
A total of 1,185,757 women now work in salaried employment, an increase of 259,480 women compared with 2019.
Wage Growth Accelerates
Average monthly wages for both full-time and part-time employees rose to €1,362.66, up from €1,342 in 2024. Since 2019, the average wage has increased by 30.3%, from €1,046.
The average wage for full-time employees climbed to €1,516, up from €1,478 in 2024 and €1,264 in 2019, representing a 20% increase over six years.
The share of employees earning more than €1,000 per month rose significantly. In 2025, 63.5% of salaried workers, nearly two in three, earned above this threshold. The figure stood at 53.7% in 2024 and just 36.3% in 2019, reflecting a total increase of 75%.
The ministry also reported that 24.29% of employees now earn between €1,001 and €1,200 per month, up from 19.36% in 2024. In 2019, only one in ten employees fell within this pay bracket, highlighting a substantial expansion of middle-income wages.
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