Foreign workers leaving Greece worsen labor market crisis

Foreign workers are leaving Greece, a trend that is deepening the crisis in the country’s labor market, according to a report by the Center of Planning and Economic Research (KEPE).

The Greek labor force is shrinking not only because of demographic aging but also because foreign workers, who traditionally filled important labor market needs, are leaving the country, daily Kathimerini reported, citing the KEPE report.

Job vacancies in the Greek economy exceeded 31,000 at the end of 2025, the report said.

The biggest shortages were in education, with around 6,870 vacancies, followed by health and social care, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail trade.

According to the report, the situation is being worsened by the limited availability of workers in the labor market.

The foreign labor force fell by 74,400 people in a year to just 97,500, while the number of legally employed foreigners dropped by 53,000, or 37%, the report said.