Highly trained manpower is wasted on low-skilled jobs

One in every three Greek workers are employed in jobs below their skill level, mostly in the civil service, commerce, accommodation and food service, in positions where their skills are not utilized, according to a report by the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV).

At the same time a job in the public sector remains one of the most desired positions in Greece, even if it demands less in the way of skills, while private enterprises find it hard to fill vacancies that require specific expertise. The biggest gaps are reported in technical and professional skills.

In its financial bulletin, SEV refers to the phenomenon of overqualified workers in a number of types of jobs, as well as a lack of people with the skills the labor market needs, noting that considerable resources are invested in education and training but without their sufficient utilization by the...