More tourists from India and China are flocking to Greece this year | Photo: TTstudio / Shutterstock
With the Summer just a few weeks away, Greece is struggling to fill thousands of job openings in the country’s tourism sector. So, if you ever thought of going to that fascinating country for work, now might be your best chance. But the job deficit is not only in the food and restaurant industry, it’s also in construction, logistics, retail and healthcare.
“It’s becoming harder and harder to find employees,” Dimitris Stathokostopoulos, who runs the eatery with his brother, told the Guardian. “Tourism is definitely on the rise, but these days Greeks prefer to work 9 to 5 office jobs that don’t require putting in hours at night, or over the weekend.”
As the countdown to the summer season begins, the search for staff to keep the industry afloat is facing an unexpected deficit. Greece may be among Europe’s most popular destinations, but workers are in short supply.
80,000 food and hotel jobs need filling
Local experts estimate the worker deficit for the upcoming holiday season is approximately 80,000 across the food and hotel sector, the backbone of the country’s economy, as it represents 25 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP).
As shocking as this may sound, it’s not the first time Greece has faced this challenge. Last year, the Panhellenic Federation of Employees in Food and Tourism (POEET) raised the exact same concern.
And in case the worker predicted shortage was not dire enough, Greece Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said the country kicked off 2025 on a promising note, with tourism arrivals in January rising by over 10 per cent, which usually means there will be more tourists during the summer as well.
Additionally, revenue grew by 3.5 billion euros compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, further illustrating the strength of Greece’s tourism sector.
Tourism to Greece is on the rise
Greece set a new record in tourism revenues for 2024, with 21.7 billion euros ($22.6 billion), up from 20.6 billion euros ($21.5 billion) in 2023, according to the Bank of Greece. Greece also saw a record 35.9 million tourists in 2024, a 9.8 per cent increase from the 32.7 million the previous year.
The country’s travel sector has reported that they forecast selling over 28.2 million aeroplane seats into the country this year, which is 4.6 per cent more than last year.
However, the Guardian reported that tourism is not the only sector affected by labour shortages. “Construction and agriculture have also been affected by the scarcity in a country not only confronting a dramatic demographic decline but still reeling from the exodus of more than 500,000 mostly high-skilled students and workers at the height of its near decade-long economic crisis,” the UK news outlet added.
Recruiting abroad has begun
Spiros Protopsaltis, the governor of the Greek public employment service, DYPA, told the Guardian, “500,000 new jobs have been created in construction, logistics, retail services and healthcare.”
Greece has begun recruiting abroad, holding career day job fairs in Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK. Protopsaltis said he hopes to recruit thousands of foreigners, but also wishes those who left would return.
“We tell people: ‘come back,’” he said. “The Greek economy is not what you remember. It’s doing very well.”
