A dead end full of unemployed graduates

Archive photo. (Shutterstock)

On the one hand, there is a gap between higher education and the labour market. According to a recent study, of the 50,000 students who graduate from Greek universities each year, only 10,000 have the necessary skills to find a job immediately. On the other hand, according to Eurostat, Greeks work more hours than anyone else in Europe. And as another report by Kathimerini noted, these data confirm the problematic production model used in this country.

The arrhythmia in the labour market is becoming the subject of public debate again and again, and with increasing intensity, sometimes even on seemingly different topics. Severe staff shortages, companies that cannot find enough workers to meet their needs, and people aged 20 to 64 who are employed (whether on a permanent basis or freelance) have to work many more hours than their European peers – and in many cases, of course, for much lower wages.

We could go on and on about the contradictions and black holes that swallow up labour and productivity. But what seems to be missing from the public debate is something much more fundamental: the fact that Greeks are much less satisfied with their lives than their European peers. Why? The economic factor is certainly important, but it is not the only one. The question is therefore: will Greeks be forced to make choices that give them no satisfaction, or to take jobs they would rather not do? Yes, they will. And to get even closer to the problem, let’s look at the nationwide university entrance exams, which force unprepared and unsuspecting young men and women into a dead end where 50,000 graduates are looking for work.

This series of arrhythmias requires a multi-pronged approach if we hope to achieve any semblance of normality. Otherwise, we will have to continue to fight our way out of the impasse while politicians continue to cheer us on with images and numbers of improvement and growth that, however, have less and less impact on the outcome. Because just as they bombard us with good news, there will be studies and surveys that convey the same message: that we are still in an impasse but choose not to call it that.