Labor Market & Economic Activity – Municipality of Patras
While job searching is a common experience for people everywhere, labor market conditions are constantly changing depending on the local and social context.
By utilizing available data, this specific Data Story highlights the characteristics of unemployment and employment in the Municipality of Patras. The analysis by sector and nationality provides us with a clear picture of the professional balances in the city and the emerging prospects.
Unemployment by Occupational Category – Which percentages dominate?
Unemployment rate by occupational category (2021 census, Municipality of Patras)
The total unemployed population amounts to 16,552 for the year 2021.
Pie chart of unemployment rates by skill level category (2021 census, Municipality of Patras)
The most striking finding is the dominance of the “Other” category (42.7%), a classification for those who did not declare a specific previous occupation. This large piece of the puzzle suggests a significant unidentified segment of the local labor force.
They are immediately followed by “New Unemployed” (23.8%), i.e., young adults seeking their first professional experience. This high percentage highlights the chronic difficulties the city’s younger generation faces when entering the labor market.
The remaining categories, ranging from unskilled workers (12.1%) to skilled technicians/service workers (12.7%), hover at similar, lower levels.
It is encouraging that “High Specialization” (8.7%) records the lowest percentage, indicating that scientific and managerial executives have better absorption into the local market.
How is the population distributed across various employment statuses based on their citizenship?
Bar chart of employment rates by employment category and citizenship (2021 census, Municipality of Patras)
The population with non-Greek citizenship shows a higher employment rate (38.2%) compared to Greeks (34.5%). This figure suggests a population residing in Patras primarily for work purposes. At the same time, however, foreigners are affected by higher unemployment (10.6%) compared to Greeks (7.6%).
A massive discrepancy is observed in the “Other” category, where the percentage of foreigners (30%) is double that of Greeks (15.1%). This category often includes individuals engaged in informal forms of employment or those in a state of economic inactivity due to a lack of legal documentation.
The gap is vast, with Greek pensioners reaching 20.1%, while foreigners stand at just 6%. Patras is “aging” primarily through its native population.
Greeks significantly outnumber foreigners (22.7% vs. 15.2%), a fact linked to Patras’ position as an educational hub for Greek youth.
Employment, Unemployment, and Economic Pressure Indicators
To gain a more comprehensive understanding of the Municipality’s productive capacity, the following index was calculated:
Economic Dependency Ratio = (Non-working Population / Employed Population) Where: Non-working population = Pensioners + Pupils & Students + Others
Result: The index stands at 1.67. For every 1 employed person, there are 1.67 individuals who are outside the labor market. This value is considered high and reflects two key characteristics of Patras: demographic aging (pensioners) and the strong presence of a student population that remains outside the labor force during their studies.
Labor Market Pressure Index For a more complete understanding, the following index was calculated: The Labor Market Pressure Index measures the ratio of people seeking work relative to those who already hold a position.
Labor Market Pressure Index = Total Unemployed / Total Employed
Result: The index is calculated at 0.22. For every 100 workers, there are 22 unemployed individuals actively seeking employment. Although this pressure is characterized as moderate, the percentage highlights a significant amount of untapped human potential that needs to be integrated into the local economy.
Bar chart of unemployed and employed population (2021 Patras)
The volume of the employed population (orange column) significantly exceeds that of the unemployed (blue column), with the number of workers approaching 75,000 individuals. Despite the difference in scale, the unemployed column represents more than 16,000 citizens. This visual contrast highlights that, while the city’s economy maintains a strong core of employment, the challenge of unemployment remains numerically significant and requires targeted interventions, especially when linked to the high educational level analyzed in previous sections.
What the data shows overall The analysis has revealed a clear picture of professional life in the Municipality of Patras for 2021. The data highlighted both the existing professional strength of the population and the significant challenges faced by those struggling with professional reintegration. The information presented is based on open data from the Municipality of Patras and aims to inform and provide an understanding of the Municipality’s professional capacity.
You can find the analyzed datasets at the following address:https://catalog.data.patras.gr/dataset/apasxolhsh_kai_agora_ergasias
For detailed datasets, additional charts, and the ability to download and reuse the data, you can visit the official Open Data portal of the Municipality of Patras at: https://catalog.data.patras.gr/dataset/
