Greece Needs 360,000 Jobs Workers in 2025 – Here’s the Plan

Greece is facing a serious labor shortage in 2025, and it is expected to fill only one out of every four available jobs this year. This means that for every four job openings, only one will have a worker. The Greek government is still struggling to find enough people to meet the high demand for workers in many industries.

According to local media reports, about 90,000 foreign workers have arrived in Greece so far this year. But even with these new arrivals, they can only cover 25% of the total demand for workers. In total, Greece needs around 360,000 workers to fill all the open positions in different sectors.

Greece is actively trying to solve its labor shortage by bringing in foreign workers and creating agreements with other countries. Although some progress has been made, such as the arrival of 90,000 foreign workers this year, the country still has a long way to go. With only 25% of jobs filled, the government must continue its efforts to meet the needs of key sectors like tourism, agriculture, and healthcare. These industries are vital not just for Greece’s economy, but also for the well-being of its people.

Most Foreign Workers Take Jobs in Key Sectors

The majority of the foreign workers who have come to Greece are working in important areas like tourism, agriculture, construction, and catering. These are industries that are essential to the country’s economy and daily life.

Tourism is especially important for Greece. It makes up nearly 10% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This means that tourism plays a big role in keeping the economy strong. However, this industry still faces a major worker shortage, which is a big concern for the government and business owners.

Steps Taken by the Government to Solve the Problem

To help reduce the labor gap, the Greek government has started working with other countries to bring in more foreign workers. These efforts include signing bilateral agreements that make it easier for people from certain countries to come and work in Greece.

One of the most important agreements is with India. According to the plan, 50,000 Indian workers are expected to arrive in Greece by the end of summer 2025. These workers will help fill job openings across different industries. The deal also gives some flexibility in when the workers can arrive, making it easier to adjust to seasonal or sudden labor needs.

This move is part of a larger strategy by the Greek government to bring in workers from non-European Union countries, especially in the industries that need help the most—such as tourism, catering, farming, and construction.

Foreign Worker Demand from 2023 to 2025

In the past few years, Greece has seen a steady rise in the need for foreign labor. Between 2023 and 2024, the country needed nearly 148,000 foreign workers to support its growing economy and aging population.

In 2024 alone, more than 32,500 workers were approved to come from countries outside the European Union. These approvals were mainly for jobs in areas that are difficult to fill with local workers.

Most of these jobs were for unskilled or semi-skilled workers, including:

• Farm laborers
• Construction workers
• Machine operators
• Factory employees
• Office assistants

About 42,500 of these job openings were for seasonal work, meaning they were temporary and usually linked to certain times of the year, like the tourist season or harvest time.

Detailed of Job Openings in 2025

For the year 2025, Greece is hoping to fill a total of 89,290 jobs in different categories. Here is a closer look at the types of jobs available:

• Dependent Employment: 41,670 jobs (around 47% of all openings). These are regular, long-term positions where workers are employed under contracts.
• Seasonal Jobs: 45,670 positions. These are short-term roles that are available during certain months, especially in tourism and agriculture.
• Highly Skilled Jobs: 2,000 roles. These include jobs that require special training or experience, such as in healthcare or engineering.

If all planned worker transfers go smoothly, Greece expects to fill:

• 3,000 manufacturing jobs, including 1,430 workers in food-related factories. These include jobs in olive oil production and cheese manufacturing, which are major parts of Greece’s food industry.
• 2,500 healthcare jobs, which are focused on elderly care and in-home support. These jobs are increasingly important as the population in Greece continues to age.

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