NOTIO AIGAIO - Employment
Two-thirds of the working population employed in services
In the 1960s and 1970?s the region was predominantly agricultural. However during the 1980s and the 1990?s with the expansion of tourism, there has been a fall in the level of employment in the primary sector, accompanied by a small increase in the secondary sector and a sharp rise in the tertiary sector. In 1998, near two-thirds of the working population were employed in the services sector, most of them in tourism, 24% in the secondary and 9% in the primary sector. In 2001, 95 000 persons were employed in the Southern Aegean region, and among them 11% were under 25.
The level of education of the labour force is below the national average, but the tourism training colleges in Rhodes are helping to raise the quality. They supply trained staff not only to the region itself but also to many tourist areas all over Greece.
The region's level of unemployment is below the average for Greece, 10 200 were unemployed in 2001 (58% of women). However, this does not reflect the actual situation, since employment in tourism is not stable owing to seasonal fluctuations. Unemployment in the under-25 age group has increased considerably (+22% between 1990 and 2001). Unemployment for women has risen as well. The long-term unemployment rate is the lowest in the country and represents only 11% of the total unemployment.
The lowest wages are to be found in the electrical goods branch of manufacturing and in retail trade, while the highest are in the transport branch. Women working in manufacturing earn 30% less than their male colleagues, while in retail trade the difference is considerably less.
If information is available, please add comments on the following subjects:
- Part-time / fixed term employment
- Unemployment by sector of activity
- Disposable household income
- Purchasing power
|
|