While Greece’s economy has been showing promise for some time now, a survey conducted on behalf of the Attica Regional Authorities and Labor Centre of Athens has revealed people living in Athens and the Attica prefecture are still very much feeling the effects of the crisis.

Conducted at the end of 2017, the survey analysed people’s living and working conditions with a sample size was 1,501. It included people aged 18 to 65 who are either employed in the private or public sectors, and others unemployed.

Of those surveyed, 57 per cent of people hired in the last 12 months were working part-time, while 1 in 3 people as a whole were employed in a field unrelated to their area of study – a trend that is on the rise.

Regarding social security, 1 in 4 reported working without full coverage, which was more prevalent in smaller businesses, namely for those hired during the last few years of the crisis.

While the average monthly salary is €806, one in five people earn less than €500 per month, more common among those hired in the past 12 months, women and younger workers.

With regards to overtime, 35 per cent said that they did not receive extra payment despite having come to an agreement with their employer that they would be compensated.

To make matters even more challenging, four in 10 reported a delay in receiving their salaries, most commonly a month late, with just 57 per cent being paid on time.

Meanwhile when it came to unemployment, six in 10 people revealed that they had been without work for over two years at a time with just one in 10 receiving an unemployment benefit (€360 per month for a maximum of one year).

Covering household expenses such as bills was seen to be a major challenge, with one in two households facing difficulties in covering rent, building maintenance, electricity, phone and water bills.

Fourty-three per cent said they did not have the financial means to adequately heat their homes in the winter, with 60 per cent of those unemployed and 34 per cent employed in the private sector.

When it came to social outings, such as to the theatre, cinema, concerts, and the purchase of books, 57 per cent reported being unable to do so.

Resident’s safety had the lowest level of satisfaction across the board, with the lowest rates seen in Piraeus and central Athens.