Thousands of positions were left unfilled in Greece during the second quarter of 2023, with the tourism, food and beverage, construction, industrial, security, technology and agricultural sectors suffering the most from labor shortages, according to Greece’s National Statistics Service (ELSTAT).

In detail, ELSTAT notes that second quarter labor shortages increased 36.2pct year-on-year and were 13 pct higher compared to the previous quarter.

Analysis by “Ta Nea” notes that a shrinking labor force contributes to the problem, which is linked to the country’s low birth rate and significant outflows of human capital. Additionally, many workers changed jobs during COVID and haven’t returned, such as in the food and beverage sector.