Kathimerini Greece Newsroom
The local labor market will operate under new conditions in 2022, as the last couple of years has already seen the imposition of changes due to the pandemic.
The market is changing, and today requires new strategies and adaptability on the part of both workers and employers, while every day increasing numbers of companies are complaining they cannot find the right staff and posts remain vacant for long periods.
Experts believe that staff shortages, not only in industry but also in other economic sectors, will grow worse next year, as the unrest and uncertainty stemming from the pandemic continue. One major company is currently offering a 300-euro bonus to workers who recommend somebody to hire, provided that after a six-week trial that person is employed by the company on a permanent basis.
Kathimerini understands that another major industrial group, with production units at Oinofyta, central Greece, is examining the possibility of developing a housing complex in the area for its workers. It will offer homes to its staff for low rents, as it has realized that the distance and the absence of adequate housing close to the workplace are strong counter incentives for potential staff.
Vacant posts soared last year in Greece: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data reveal a 117.8% rise in vacancies in the second quarter of this year compared to a year earlier, reaching 12,180. That phenomenon is not exclusive to Greece but has grown bigger in this country due to the inherent problems in the economy, low salaries, the almost complete dependence of employment indexes on the course of tourism, as well as the dynamics of the Greek family, which often prevent working-age children from working when the salary is not considered high enough.
Consequently, key professions, ranging from cooks, bakers and logistics workers to security staff and plumbers, are seeing significant staff shortages. The Labor Ministry will continue trying to bridge the skills gap between education and the labor market in 2022.
