Business group says 36 percent of firms struggle to fill positions

Despite an enduringly high unemployment rate, one in three Greek businesses struggles to fill vacancies, with 11 professions facing particularly intense shortages, according to the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV).

A SEV report made public Wednesday said that the sectors facing the greatest personnel shortages include IT, food processing and mining, with specialized positions such as software developers, quality managers and supply chain specialists among those most in demand.

According to SEV, more than 240,000 people are already employed in these positions, most of them on full-term contracts, but there is ample room for further growth in the area.

The salaries for most of these jobs, particularly the most specialized, are generally very good and have increased in recent years as the economy has started to recover, the report added.

Commenting on Wednesday, SEV president Theodoros Fessas noted that more vocational training at schools and colleges would help. “Businesses cannot find the skills that they need and many of our fellow citizens cannot find work,” he said.

Overall, according to the SEV report, 36 percent of Greek businesses have problems filling their vacant posts, with that rate rising to 46 percent for more “outward-looking” firms such as export companies.

The dearth of employees with the right skills is given by companies as the reason for failing to fill vacancies in 27.7 percent of cases, followed by a lack of the relevant work experience, in 21.3 percent of cases.