The tourism labor market continues to move at a rapid pace, recording the largest increase in declared overtime in the country, according to the most recent data from the Ministry of Labor. This picture, which captures the dynamics and challenges of the sector, is closely linked to the implementation of the Digital Labor Card, which gradually changes the way in which working time is monitored and recorded.
Speaking to Tornos News, lawyer-labor expert Margarita Kardari points out that “tourism for the first time surpasses traditionally strong sectors, such as industry and retail, emerging as one of the most intense sectors of activity, with a direct reflection in working hours and overtime.” According to official data, in May 2025 there was a 1,055% increase in declared overtime compared to the corresponding month in 2024, a figure that reflects the high intensity of this year’s tourist season.
The labor expert explains that these data “show not only the strong recovery of tourism, but also how decisive the role of the Digital Labor Card is proving to be in transparency and recording real employment.” From July 2024 to March 2025, declared overtime in all sectors that have joined the system increased by 92%, while tourism came out on top for the first time, above industry, retail and catering.
Ms. Kardari emphasizes that technological monitoring of working hours now functions “as a tool for rationalization and protection for both employees and businesses,” especially in a sector with strong seasonality, where the largest deviations were traditionally recorded. At the same time, she notes that the integration of the Digital Work Card into real market data requires “further reinforcement and technical improvements,” in order to ensure full reliability and stable functionality.
According to her analysis, the data of the “ERGANI” Information System confirm the broader upward trend: +129% increase in declared overtime in catering, +92% in retail, +85% in industry, with tourism taking the lead. During the first five months of 2025, declared overtime in tourism was 903% higher than the corresponding period in 2024, while, as she states, these are the most recent data, with data for the coming months expected soon.
The labor expert explains that this trend highlights “a new reality for tourism, a sector with increased productivity, greater transparency and better control of working time”. At the same time, she believes that the Digital Labor Card “can contribute decisively to strengthening the credibility of Greek tourism internationally, projecting a more mature and modern labor market, with an emphasis on legality and sustainable development”.
