Labor shortages: The industries with the most vacancies

It is typical, as pointed out by the governor of the Bank of Greece, Giannis Stournaras, speaking in his article, about shortages of 200,000 workers in tourism, the agricultural sector and construction. “If we don’t find them right away, we will start to have problems in the economy as well,” stressed Mr. Stournaras.

It is also worth noting the issue that many businesses face not just to fill vacancies but also to find employees with the right skills.

The data of the report of the Ministry of Finance

The recent BoE governor’s report notes that the labor market continued to improve through 2023, but at a more subdued pace. Total employment increased by 1.3%, while the unemployment rate fell to 11.1% in 2023 from 12.4% in 2022. With unemployment falling, the labor market continues to tighten, as shown by the significant annual percentage increase in job vacancies in 2023 of 62.6%.

Based on the same data, the sectors of economic activity that face the highest rates of narrowness to cover jobs are:

Accommodation with a vacancy rate of 4.3%, construction with a vacancy rate of 2.6% respectively, manufacturing with 1.8%, trade with 1.7%) professional, scientific and technical activities 4.0% , as well as real estate management 1.7%.

Tourism and catering

In the case of tourism, where, as the above report shows, the problem is more acute, the increased tourist traffic creates, at the same time, greater demands for the provision of quality services.

However, the workers, for their part, highlight the difficult conditions in which they are often asked to work, such as the grueling hours and the issue of the wages they receive.

As the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Catering and Tourism Workers recently noted on CNN Greece, Giorgos Hotzoglou, it is estimated that vacancies may exceed 60,000, with the biggest problems being observed in the areas with intense tourist traffic, such as Crete, Rhodes and Halkidiki.

When it comes to the catering industry, job vacancies in most businesses, small and large, are now a year-round occurrence, even in major urban centers.

The example recently reported to CNN Greece by the General Manager of the Greek Association of Organized Catering Businesses is indicative. Yannis Liaros for a chain in the industry that maintains 15-18 stores, from which a total of 70-80 employees are missing.