Companies seeking skilled young people
A survey undertaken jointly by the National Documentation Center, the Hellenic Statistical Authority and the Greek Exporters Association (SEVE) in July provides a telling picture of the Greek labor market, showing that 63% of businesses are looking for employees.
The research revealed that firms prefer to hire employees with minimal experience, up to five years, and pay up to 1,500 euros.
Moreover, 43.6% of companies are looking for highly skilled workers and 29.8% for unskilled ones.
More than half (52.4%) report that they intend to recruit either due to an increase in sales or due to expansion, while only 11.3% are trying to cover temporary or seasonal needs.
The drop in unemployment is seen as an achievement for the government given that the labor market is always a major chip in the political stock market.
However, it is not enough, as new challenges are emerging at a time when the labor market is changing rapidly and has new needs.
The survey, in which a total of 1,600 companies of all sizes participated, is a useful tool for the government, as it provides a clear picture of the challenges and trends in the labor market.
It is noteworthy that three out of four companies are looking for staff regardless of gender, while the search includes some form of certified knowledge, underscoring the value of training and education.
In terms of recruiting Greeks from abroad, 14.9% of businesses reported hiring people who had returned home in the previous three years, demonstrating a minor but significant trend of Greeks gradually returning from overseas. The percentage is even higher, reaching 25% among the companies seeking people from the brain drain generation.
However, 76.7% of businesses stated that they face difficulties in finding suitable staff, with the main factors being the lack of suitable skills or experience and lack of interest from candidates.
Finally, 56.7% of firms believe that a stronger and more effective link between educational institutions and businesses is required, emphasizing the importance of the relevance of skills obtained in education to those desired in the labor force.
Interestingly, Germany emerges as the example for the EU’s labor framework, including methods that Greek enterprises should embrace to increase employment.
