We have 9.6% unemployment with 260 thousand job vacancies. Imagine how much lower the percentage recorded by ELSTAT would be if these vacancies had been filled!”
The far-right position belongs to a government minister who understands the obvious and therefore avoids much fanfare and applause: the single-digit percentage recorded by unemployment June is not for celebrations.
On the contrary, combined with the practical impossibility of covering thousands of jobs, it is an area of serious concern.
Those in the Government and the Ministry of Labor who think they should start throwing flares in the air are making a big mistake. Those who, on the contrary, believe they should “keep dancing”, that is, if you behave with more humility and try to solve the problem, you will be overcome in the long run.
It is no coincidence that the 260,000 job offers are an estimate from a survey (Palmos Analysis) conducted on behalf of the Central Union of Chambers of Greece (KEEE), i.e. employers. It is not an invention of the unions, who may want to “inflate” the problem a little. Employers, who are experiencing this extremely worrying situation, are not joking.
They know it they don’t find workers. They know that the “tank” has run dry. They realize that a large part of the country’s “good minds” (about 1 million citizens) have emigrated to other countries. They see that there are gaps even in simple (theoretically) manual tasks. After all, the model that the Ministry of Labor and DYPA tried to implement last year did not work: there were gaps in Heraklion, Crete, and an attempt was made to conduct a few months of “internal migration” from other regions of the country (e.g. Western Macedonia) in order to cope with the situation. And yet, the response was limited and the program went unnoticed!
Despite a limited period of time at the Ministry of Labor, the responsible minister Niki Kerameos, very intelligent in her positioning for the reduction of unemployment, in social media, He avoided celebrations. On the contrary, he referred to the “reservoirs” that the State must focus on from now on, to find workers. Women and youthbut also PWDs and pensioners, they enter the “front line”. In the first two categories, the “bet” on vacant jobs is quite hidden: But for the Ministry of Labor to be able to increase the participation of women and young people in the production process, a series of parameter actions must be combined. For example, the mother must have a place where she can leave her child safely, so that she can work. Otherwise, why would he dare? Young people should know that their wages will be such that they can earn their monthly salary with dignity. Otherwise, why worry? Decent working conditions must be guaranteed for both women and young people, as well as for workers in general. This means that cases of exploitation must not only be limited, but also punished in an exemplary manner. Therefore, the Labour Inspectorate needs to be strengthened to identify offenders and punish them in an exemplary manner.
So Mrs. Kerameos knows what needs to be done. Salary increases are more than necessary. Dignity and respect in the workplace are prerequisites for finding employees. Covering and supporting mothers is a basis for women to return to work. But for all this to happen, immediate interventions, measures and initiatives are needed. The TIF is closer than we think. Let’s see what Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will announce there. Then we will see whether the government has understood the magnitude of the problem.
