Greek Daily News 02/04/2024

ECONOMY

-Shutdown announcements for the factories of the Yioula glassworks firm in Athens and of EVIEN in Thessaloniki and Kilkis in northern Greece within less than a week raise alarm about industry’s future, Kathimerini reported.

-Greece’s adjusted unemployment rate rose to 11% in February 2024, marking the highest level since August 2023 and surpassing January’s revised figure of 10.6%. A year ago, the unemployment rate was higher at 11.2%. Labor Minister Domna Michailidou has called pensioners to return to work and used her 72-year-old mother as an example that those over 70 are fit to work. A recent legislation allows pensioners to continue work with decreased taxation and no cuts in their pension, however, with additional social and health contributions.

-BMI Research, a subsidiary of Fitch Solutions, has revised its Greek GDP forecast to 2.4% in 2024 from 1.6%, noting that consumption and investments will be the driving forces behind the expansion.

-The Parliamentary Budget Office of Greece sees growth rate for this year at 2.5% and inflation at 2.9%. It also warned against ‘excessive nominal wage increases’ in its 4Q2023 report.

SHIPPING

The ports of Souda in Crete and Stylida in Central Greece will be upgraded, Naftemporiki reported. The projects are co-financed by the Recovery and Resilience Fund.

CULTURE

The head of a young man crowned with a wreath of laurels, most likely belonging to a statue of Apollo and dating to the 2nd or early 3rd century AD, is among the findings in Philippi excavation site in northern Greece. The excavations were conducted by students of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the culture ministry said in a statement.

TOURISM

Greek Airports see passenger traffic rise by 15.7% in February to 2,405,625, compared to 2,079,567 passengers in February 2023, according to data released by the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority – HCAA / Hellenic Aviation Service Provider-ΗASP. Passenger traffic at Athens International Airport (AIA) amounted to 1.6 million, up 18.4% y-o-y.

GENERAL

A wildfire erupted Sunday in the northern regional unit of Pieria. Firefighting operations persist.