SEV proposes measures to reverse brain drain

Nearly half a million Greeks left the country in the decade from 2008 to 2017, seeking a better luck abroad, mainly in Germany and the United Kingdom, according to the latest available data. The Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) is proposing a series of measures not only to stem the outpour of young, skilled Greeks, known a "brain drain", but also to reverse it.

Official figures show that from 2008 to 2017 467,765 Greek citizens left the country, with the net outflow amounting to 192,493, i.e. just under 2 percent of the average population in that period.

Contrary to the emigration of Greeks in the 1950s and 1960s, the majority of those who recently left the country concerned university graduates who were unable to find employment in Greece at a salary that would match their skills.

In a special report published on Monday SEV recommends measures ranging...