Working 9-5 is no longer the norm

Part-time or shift work has now become the norm in the Greek labor market, accounting for six out of every 10 new jobs created last month, according to Labor Ministry figures that reveal unprecedented changes in the features of employment in Greece.

The main victims of those changes are workers who have seen their incomes shrink, as flexible labor has largely replaced full-time employment during the crisis years. Data show that 61.1 percent of hirings in September concerned part-time jobs or rotational work with pay below the minimum wage (586 euros per month or 511 euros for under-25s), against 38.9 percent full-time positions. Out of the 140,878 hirings made last month that involved flexible hours, 107,790 were part-time and 33,088 comprised shift work.

Former labor minister Giorgos Koutroumanis told Kathimerini that besides the social consequences, this new problem...