This paper examines the impact of minimum wage changes on employment outcomes for men and women in Greece during the period 2016–2024. The analysis focuses on whether minimum wage adjustments produce heterogeneous employment effects across genders, both at the national level and across the thirteen NUTS 2 regions of Greece. The period under examination is particularly important, as it includes the post-economic crisis recovery, multiple statutory minimum wage increases, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the inflationary pressures associated with the war in Ukraine.

The study adopts an econometric framework based on regional panel data and extends previous research by incorporating gender-specific employment dynamics. The empirical methodology follows established approaches in the minimum wage literature and estimates employment elasticities with respect to minimum wage changes, lagged minimum wage effects, and unemployment rates. The analysis relies on official administrative and statistical data derived from the Hellenic Statistical Authority, Eurostat, and the Small Enterprises Institute of GSEVEE.

The findings reveal substantial regional and gender heterogeneity in labor market responses. At the national level, minimum wage increases appear to have limited statistically significant effects on overall employment for both men and women. However, at the regional level, employment responses differ considerably across genders. Women’s employment is found to be more sensitive to unemployment fluctuations and, in several regions, more responsive to minimum wage changes compared to men. These results suggest that labor market adjustments to minimum wage policies are neither geographically uniform nor gender neutral.

Overall, the study contributes to the literature by providing new evidence on the interaction between minimum wage policy, regional disparities, and gender inequality in the Greek labor market. The results highlight the importance of incorporating both regional and gender dimensions when designing and evaluating labor market policies.