Greece's unemployment rate increased notably in January after dropping in the previous month, and hit a new record high, as the protracted debt crisis continued to weigh on activity in the recession-stricken economy.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 27.2 percent in January from 25.7 percent in December. In January 2012, the jobless rate was 21.5 percent, the Hellenic Statistical Authority said Thursday.

The number of unemployed persons increased 7.6 percent month-on-month to around 1.35 million in January. On an annual basis, unemployment climbed 26.3 percent.

At the same time, the number of employed persons in the country edged down 0.3 percent sequentially to around 3.62 million in January. Compared to January 2012, employment dropped by 7 percent.