Migrants are contributing to the workforce in Greece, which still faces severe shortages, Secretary General for the Reception of Asylum Applicants Dimitra Lygoura said at the 5th Olympia Forum on Sunday.
The country has been suffering from a lack of available workers while the so-called brain drain of recent years continues to be an issue.
Staff shortages are particularly high in specific sectors. It is estimated that there is a lack of 70,000 workforce in agriculture, 80,000 in tourism and restaurants, and another 50,000 in constructions, which brings the total lack of workforce in Greece at 200,000 individuals.
But even the country’s existing workforce is lacking in skills, statistics suggest.
Migrants included in the labor force in Greece
Latest data by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) shared by Lygoura indicate that Greece is behind compared to other European countries in the availability of highly skilled staff at four sectors that are critical for the Greek economy. Those are: hotel/vacation rentals, trade, manufacturing, and farming and fishing.
The difference between Greece and the European Union in terms of highly skilled jobs fluctuates between 5.4 to 14.6 points.
It is estimated that 750,000 legal migrants are currently working in Greece.
“According to the new migration code in Greece, from the moment a citizen of a third country enters Greece and applies for asylum, he or she may start working within the next two months. This provision gives them the opportunity to be included in the labor force of the local economy, and it also makes them financially independent, or offers them the ability to become financially independent in the future,” Lygoura described.
Greek businesses must compete with foreign employers to bring Greek brains back
Western European cities like Amsterdam, Luxemburg, and Copenhagen act like “talent magnets” that the Greek labor market must become competitive with to beat the brain drain, added Constantinos Agrapidas, Director General for Labour Relations, Health & Safety at Work & Intergration into Work, Ministry of Labour & Social Affairs, also speaking at the 5th Olympia Forum.
“Employees are now more demanding, and it’s them who choose employers, not the employers choosing the employees,” he observed.
Agrapidas pointed out that competitive salaries are no longer enough incentive to bring Greek highly skilled workers back to Greece, but things such as the quality of life, free time, progress, reliability, and career perspective also play an important role.
“If we are not competitive in the EU and in the international market, we will only be taking steps backwards,” he noted.
The Greek official advised, however, that the digital platform Rebrain Greece does feature competitive job openings for highly skilled workers by top Greek companies.
