Greeks Abroad Returning Home

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed renewed optimism during a Tuesday event at the Labor & Social Insurance Ministry, praising personal stories of Greeks who found work locally or returned from abroad with help from the public employment agency, CE Report quotes Athens-Macedonia

He highlighted that 500,000 new jobs were created over the last six years, with unemployment dropping from 18% to 8%. Beyond job creation, he stressed the importance of raising wages to support a decent standard of living.

Mitsotakis noted a turning point in 2024, when—for the first time—more Greeks returned home for work than left. He credited government efforts like Career Days abroad for helping reverse the brain drain and emphasized the need to make returnees feel confident in Greece’s future.

The prime minister framed the current shortage of workers as a sign of progress, contrasting it with the high unemployment of the past. “Despite the challenges,” he said, “we now have the right—and duty—to face the future with greater optimism.”