ATHENS –
Unemployment among Greek students is the highest in the European Union, according to new Eurostat figures, with young people discouraged by low wages and poor working conditions.
Only 6% of Greeks aged 15–29 who are enrolled in school or university are employed — the same rate as Romania — placing Greece at the bottom of the EU ranking. At the opposite end of the scale, 74.3% of students in the Netherlands work alongside their studies, followed by Denmark (56.4%) and Germany (45.8%). The EU average stands at 25.4%.
Eurostat notes that many young Greeks avoid seeking employment during their studies due to the low quality of available jobs, a trend economists warn contributes to a cycle of youth unemployment and delays in entering the labor market.
Across the EU in 2024, 25.4% of young people, aged 15–29, were employed while in formal education. Another 71.4% remained outside the labor force, while 3.2% were unemployed but actively seeking work.
