A report was published on Deutsche Welle’s website about the wave of young skilled graduates who are leaving Greece to seek their fortunes elsewhere. The so-called 500-euro-generation, consists of young, well-educated university graduates and skilled laborers.
Christos Christoglou, a 37-year-old chemical engineer having just finished his PhD at university in Athens, finished his PhD, was hired by one of the bigger export companies, the Elval Hellenic Aluminium Industry.
However, within two months, due to the financial crisis, he accepted a job in Germany.
“It’s virtually impossible to find a job, and it’s totally impossible to find a good job at the moment in Greece,” Christoglou told Deutsche Welle. “It will be hard in a year’s time from now, I suppose, and even longer – two, three or maybe five years. No one knows if we will make it as a country or not,” Christoglou said. “No one is able to plan ahead.”
He also added that most of his former colleagues have sent their resumes to several companies abroad, even though they are currently employed for fear of losing their job some time in the near future. “Usually the ones who go are the brightest, who can get a good job elsewhere, or the ones who could really offer something to the country. And these people leave the country. It’s a huge disaster,” he said. “Imagine who will stay in the university to become the next generation of professors: The mediocre ones who can’t find a job outside of Greece!”
Ilias Courtidis, a Greek national born in Bonn, agrees that the situation in Greece is tough for the young generation. “I’m telling everyone: Don’t be stupid and waste your years working as day laborers in Greece. Try to get on your feet and go abroad when you’re still young,'” he said.
The consensus between the youth seems to be, ”Greece has many problems to fix. If those issues are not addressed as soon as possible, Greeks are better off leaving.”
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