Employment outlook index at 11-year high for April-June

Almost one in three Greek employers will hire more staff in the next three months if the results of a ManpowerGroup survey on expectations for the second quarter of the year turn out to be correct. The greatest optimism was seen in the sectors of construction, industry, transport, retail and wholesale commerce, as well as water, electricity and natural gas.

The report shows Greek employers as being quite optimistic about the next few months, with the total employment prospects index pointing to an increase of 21 percent, which would represent an 11-year peak. Hiring plans are improved by three percentage points compared to those for the current quarter, and up 6 percentage points from the second quarter of 2018.

Besides the 31 percent of employers expecting their staffs to grow in the next quarter, 63 percent foresee no change and 4 percent are anticipating a reduction.

Construction appears to be the sector with the best hiring prospects (+26 percent), followed by that of electricity, natural gas and water (+24 percent). Three sectors show a +23 percent shift, these being industry, transport & communication, and commerce. The weakest hiring prospects were seen in agriculture, by 16 percent, the survey showed.