Greece Has Second-Highest Rate of Working Poor in EU, Report Finds

A recent report by Greece’s Labour Institute of the General Confederation of Labour (GSEE) paints a stark picture of the country’s working poor, ranking Greece second-worst in the European Union for severe material and social deprivation among employees.

According to the 2024 findings, 8.8% of Greek workers suffer from serious material and social deprivation — just behind Bulgaria’s 9.5%, and ahead of several other southern and eastern European countries, including Romania (7.8%), Hungary (5.4%), and Slovakia (3.3%).

Sharp Inequalities in Daily Life

The report reveals that 29.3% of workers in Greece are unable to afford even a small personal expense on a weekly basis, the highest rate across all 27 EU member states. This marks an increase from 27.9% in 2023, although still lower than in 2019. In stark contrast, the EU average for this indicator stands at just 8.3%.

Non-salaried workers in Greece are particularly affected, with 31.4% unable to afford a weekly personal expense — more than four times the EU average. Among the unemployed, the figure soars to 61.7%, while 41.3% of economically inactive citizens (excluding pensioners) also report the same hardship. Even among pensioners, 30.4% face this challenge, compared to just 9% across the EU.

Leisure Out of Reach

Greek workers are also the least able in the EU to participate in leisure activities, with 23.5% reporting they cannot regularly engage in any recreational or cultural pursuits. This is the highest rate in Europe, outpacing even Romania by 6.7 percentage points.

A Crisis of Purchasing Power

Despite improvements in certain quantitative labour market indicators, such as employment rates, the report highlights how reduced purchasing power continues to erode quality of life for many Greek citizens. The inability to meet basic needs — both material and social — is increasingly defining the lived experience of the Greek workforce.

In the broader population, the numbers are equally troubling. Severe material and social deprivation was reported by 9.1% of the total workforce, 9.6% of non-salaried workers, and a staggering 41% of unemployed individuals. Among pensioners, the rate was 9.1%, and among other economically inactive people, it reached 20.6%.

Growing Disparity Across the EU

The survey underscores a widening gap between Greece and its European partners, with almost double the rate of deprivation across all population groups compared to the EU average. The situation also deteriorated across the board in 2024 compared to 2023, indicating worsening conditions despite macroeconomic recovery narratives.

For international observers, the findings present a sobering reminder that employment alone does not guarantee dignity or economic security, especially in a country still grappling with the long-term fallout of a decade-long financial crisis according To Vima/GSEE.

Source: pagenews.gr