Greek unemployment rate records at 8.9% in Dec.

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

ATHENS, March 12 (Chinese media) -- The unemployment rate in Greece was recorded

at 8.9 percent in December last year, unchanged from the same month in 2007, the

National Statistical Service announced on Thursday.

The statistical service said that the number of unemployed was 434,149 in

December 2008, up from 438,066 a year earlier.

The western Macedonia region, Epirus, the South Aegean region and Crete

recorded the highest percentage unemployment rates in December, while the

Peloponnese, the North Aegean region and Attica prefecture or greater Athens

area the lowest rates.

Unemployment hit mostly women which is at 12.2 percent and to a lesser

extent men which is at 6.5 percent.