Log in
A+ A A-

Tourism industry a massive boost to job market in Greece

According to data released by the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE), the number of people employed in the tourism industry had reached record heights, even surpassing the pre-crisis levels. In 2016 and aggregate of 341.2 thousand are employed in tourism related jobs, with the industry accounting for 9.3% of the total workforce compared to 3.9% in 1983 and 7% in 2008.

The study of SETE, which covers the period between 2009-2013 noted that there was a drop in all employment numbers, including tourism, a trend which was reversed only on tourism in 2014 when a +23% rise was registered for 2013-14, followed by +7.6% and +5.1% for 2014-15 and 2015-16, respectively. In comparison, all other fields of employment recorded a slight recovery in 2014-15, only to fall again the next season (-22.3%).

Construction (-63%), retail (-36.2%), commerce (21.7%), and fishing, forestry and agriculture (-11.5%) were the hardest hit industries. Full-time employment has recorded a rapid increase on an annual rate in the tourism industry since 2014, with +12.2% in 2014, +7.6% in 2015 and +3.0% in 2016. In terms of part-time employment in tourism, Greece has the 7th lowest rate among the Eurozone member-states accounting for 17.9% of total employment.