Greece is expected to fill only one out of every four job vacancies in 2025, as the government continues to face challenges in addressing widespread labour shortages. According to local media reports, around 90,000 foreign workers have arrived in the country so far this year, covering just 25% of the 360,000 total workforce demand.
The majority of these workers are employed in critical sectors such as tourism, agriculture, construction, and catering. Tourism, which contributes nearly 10% to Greece’s GDP, remains a key area in need of labour support.
Strategic Moves to Bridge the Workforce Gap
To tackle the shortfall, the Greek government has signed multiple bilateral agreements aimed at streamlining the entry of foreign workers. One of the most notable is with India, where an arrangement was made to bring 50,000 Indian workers to Greece by the end of the summer of 2025. These workers are expected to help address shortages across various industries, with flexibility in their arrival times.
This agreement is part of a broader government strategy to secure workers from non-EU countries, especially in sectors facing the most pressure—namely tourism, catering, agriculture, and construction.
Labour Needs Across 2023–2025
Between 2023 and 2024, Greece required nearly 148,000 foreign workers to support its economic sectors. In 2024 alone, an additional 32,517 worker transfers from outside the EU were approved.
Most of these positions were for unskilled or semi-skilled roles, including agricultural labourers, construction workers, machine operators, factory staff, and office workers. About half of the vacancies, roughly 42,520, were for seasonal employment.
Breakdown of Employment Types in 2025
For 2025, Greece aims to fill 89,290 roles across various employment categories:
- Dependent employment: 41,670 positions (46.7% of total)
- Seasonal work: 45,670 roles
- Highly skilled jobs: 2,000 roles
If additional worker transfers proceed as planned, Greece expects to fill 3,000 jobs in manufacturing, with 1,430 workers specifically needed in factories related to food processing, such as olive oil production and cheese manufacturing.
Additionally, 2,500 jobs are open in healthcare services, including elderly care and in-home support roles.
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