Thursday, September 12, 2013

The Interminable Rise of Greek Youth Unemployment

In May Greek youth unemployment was almsot 65%, in June it showed a slight "improevment" falling to 58.8%.

However, when compared to previous years the level of youth unemployment has worsened (as per Efthimia Efthimiou):

- June 2012 it was 54.8%
- June 2011 it was 44.4%
- June 2010 it was 31.3%
- June 2009 it was 23.2%
- June 2008 it was 20%

Levels of unemployment such as this are normally associated with third world countries in the midst of a civil war, or the equivalent. Yet Greece is, allegedly, a first world country and is meant to be an "equal" member of a powerful and prosperous economic block (ie the Eurozone).

The reality is that Greece is not treated as an equal, it should never have joined or been allowed to join the Eurozone and the prosperity within the Eurozone is not evenly spread but confined to the wealthy Northern economies.

As such it is clear that as an experiment the Eurozone is destined to fail, indeed the world will be a better place without it. However, with levels of unemployment such as this in Greece the real danger is that of a plague of dictatorships and civil unrest spreading country by country in the Southern members of the Eurozone.

In order to survive as a democracy and civilised society Greece needs to exit the Eurozone now, others such as Cyprus need also to consider their positions. 

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