A report by The Guardian highlights the severity of the labor shortage in Greece’s tourism sector. Journalists visited key tourist areas in Athens, interviewing restaurant and hotel owners struggling to fill positions ahead of the summer influx of tourists.
At Karyatis Tavern, located near the Acropolis, owner Dimitris Stathokostopoulos described the situation: “It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find staff. Tourism is definitely booming, but these days Greeks prefer 9-to-5 office jobs that don’t require night or weekend shifts.”
Despite record-breaking visitor numbers expected in Athens this summer, businesses like Stathokostopoulos’ are unable to meet demand due to a lack of workers.
The pandemic is cited as a major factor behind the current labor crisis. According to Giorgos Chotzoglou, president of the Panhellenic Federation of Catering and Tourism Employees, many skilled workers left the industry during the lockdowns and never returned.
“What we’re seeing is an unprecedented shortage of skilled and experienced workers in hotels and restaurants,” Chotzoglou said. “An estimated 80,000 positions need to be filled.”
The seasonal nature of Greece’s tourism sector exacerbates the issue. Workers who lose their jobs at the end of the season are eligible for just three months of unemployment benefits. Chotzoglou noted, “When there’s a cost-of-living crisis, how can they possibly survive the rest of the year?”
REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo
Government Response: Migrant Workers and Bilateral Agreements
The Mitsotakis government has initiated several measures to address the labor shortage. It has attempted to regularize approximately 30,000 undocumented migrants and signed bilateral agreements with countries such as Egypt, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Georgia, India, and Moldova to facilitate labor mobility.
In northern Greece, asylum seekers who were previously housed in refugee camps will begin working in the tourism sector later this month after receiving training from the Hellenic Hotel Federation.
However, the new Minister of Migration Policy, Makis Voridis, a former far-right activist, has vowed to crack down on undocumented migrants while maintaining a “tough but fair” approach to immigration.
REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi
Economic Recovery and the Push for Brain Gain
Greece’s economic recovery has driven unemployment rates down from 18% to 9% in six years, creating 500,000 new jobs across sectors such as construction, logistics, retail, and healthcare. However, this economic rebound has also led to labor shortages.
In an effort to address the gap, the Greek government is actively recruiting both migrant workers and Greek expatriates. “We’re telling people to come back,” said Spyros Protopsaltis, head of Greece’s Public Employment Service (DYPA). “The Greek economy is not what they remember. It’s doing much better now.”
But time is of the essence. By 2028, the Ministry of Tourism expects 40 million visitors annually – nearly four times the country’s population. As the labor crisis intensifies, Greece’s tourism sector faces a pivotal question: Can migrants fill the gap and keep the economy’s engine running?
