The Greek labor market is at a critical turning point, with demographics, artificial intelligence and the green transition shaping developments of the coming decade. In exclusive comments to Tornos News, Ilias Livanos, Expert at the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), notes that “Brain Drain is not a recent development in the Greek labor market. Therefore, we must reflect on why it happens and act accordingly.”
CEDEFOP’s analysis shows that Greece faces one of the most severe demographic challenges in Europe. The core of the workforce, that is, workers aged 25 to 55, is expected to shrink by 18 percent by 2035, as retirements far outpace new entrants into the labor market. This development puts pressure on businesses, intensifies staff shortages and limits growth potential.
At the same time, overall employment is expected to decline slightly, with most new positions arising not from expansion but from replacements — workers retiring or changing occupations. Mr. Livanos emphasizes that “the major challenge is to create the conditions for a transition from Brain Drain to Brain Stay,” by strengthening the link between education and employment and offering incentives for young graduates to remain in the country.
Artificial intelligence and the digital transition will be decisive factors in shaping the future labor market. Although the EU as a whole is expected to see a 5 percent decline in employment by 2035, technology will create 900,000 new opportunities in sectors such as information technology, research and development. In Greece, the impact is estimated to be milder due to the smaller weight of industrial sectors; however, the need for reskilling and digital literacy remains urgent.
New jobs from the green and digital transition
According to CEDEFOP data, the green and digital transitions will be key drivers of new job creation. In the green economy, the electricity and renewable energy sector is expected to create 14,000 new jobs, while construction, supported by European funds and sustainable infrastructure projects, will add 25,000 jobs over the next decade.
In the digital sphere, information technology services are expected to absorb 8,000 workers, research and development 3,000, while the electrical equipment sector will add 2,000 new positions. Likewise, health and social care will experience the strongest growth, with 31,000 new jobs, as an aging population increases demand for personal care professions, which are growing by nearly 4 percent annually.
Tourism also holds significant importance, and together with culture and the arts is expected to create around 30,000 new jobs over the next decade, strengthening local economies and promoting sustainable development.
Conversely, some sectors will shrink. Agriculture, the oil sector and chemical manufacturing are on a downward trajectory, while professions such as hospitality and retail managers, agricultural and fisheries workers, and administrative service employees will be affected by automation and digitalization. These changes, common across the European Union, highlight the need for targeted reskilling programs to keep workers competitive.
The challenge, according to Mr. Livanos, is twofold: Greece must reverse the brain drain, and at the same time create a stable framework of labor-market integration that allows young scientists to utilize their skills without seeking opportunities abroad. He stresses to Tornos News that “the weak transition from education to employment reveals gaps in the institutional framework, which must activate workforce skills quickly, ensure timely labor-market integration and provide the right conditions for people to stay.”
CEDEFOP’s projections are not just statistical estimates but a roadmap for adaptation. The Greek expert points out that the country needs to invest more in upgrading skills, linking education with economic needs and supporting workers in transitional sectors.
The transition from Brain Drain to Brain Stay is not only a matter of policy choices but also of culture: the ability to recognize the value of human capital, to give people incentives to remain and to contribute. Mr. Livanos concludes that “the major challenge is to create the conditions for the transition from Brain Drain to Brain Stay.”
