Greek Citizens Migrate In Search of Job Opportunities

The ongoing financial crisis in Greece along with sky-high levels of unemployment, currently 27.8 percent, has led many Greeks to migrate to other countries in order to find work and better living conditions. The most common destinations are Germany, Great Britain and the U.S. An increase of migration from Greece has also been recorded in Middle Eastern countries. According to the Norway Post, the migration rate from Greece increased by 49 percent from November 2012 to the same month in 2013.

The United Kingdom’s Department for work and pensions reports that between September 2012 and 2013, immigration from Greece has increased by 31 percent. In Germany, the migration rate from Greece has increased by 5.1 percent while the Federation of Greek Communities in Belgium reported that Greek immigrants are mostly looking for positions in the banking and research sectors. However, there were also many manual laborers looking for work. Most of the Geek immigrants are eventually employed in the administrative, legal, marketing, financial and tourist sectors.

According to a study by Kappa Research, seven out of ten university graduates in Greece are trying to migrate in search of better job opportunities abroad. The study also showed that at least one in ten Greeks is already abroad trying to find a job or to continue his or her studies. In addition, 44.7 percent of those who want to migrate are seeking a better job, 66.4 percent would like a better standard of living, while 32.6 percent are after fairer job prospects. About 61 percent of those polled, stated that they would prefer a job which would lead to a career outside of Greece, rather than a position in either the public or private sector in Greece. These results point to a high degree of disappointment and dissatisfaction with the Greek government and the current situation in the country.