Foreign workers leaving Greece deepen labor market crisis
Greece is facing a worsening labor market crisis as a growing number of foreign workers leave the country, further reducing the availability of workers across the economy, according to a report by the Center of Planning and Economic Research (KEPE).
The report, cited by the daily *Kathimerini*, said the Greek workforce is shrinking not only because of demographic aging but also due to the decline in the foreign labor force, which has traditionally filled critical labor shortages.
According to the findings, job vacancies exceeded 31,000 at the end of 2025, with the largest shortages recorded in education, where nearly 6,870 positions remained unfilled. Significant gaps were also reported in health and social care, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail trade.
The report said the foreign labor force declined by 74,400 people over the past year to 97,500, while the number of legally employed foreign workers fell by 53,000, or 37%, exacerbating recruitment challenges across multiple sectors.
