More than one in three unemployed people in Greece are now over the age of 45, and the Ministry of Labor is working to reverse the trend of older workers being excluded from the labor market.
In an article for APE-MPE, DYPA Director Yianna Chormova argues that citizens over 50 should not be treated as workers “retired from the workforce,” butas human capital with experience, skills, and professional maturity.
As she notes, for many unemployed people over 50, job loss also means social exclusion, doubt, and a sense that the labor marketis “turning its back on them.”
“For us, people over 50 are not out of the market. They are human capital, and that is why we invest in supporting them with a plan and measurable results,” she states emphatically.
The director of DYPA emphasizes that the organization is striving to shift from the role of a “passive benefits agency” to an active mechanism for reintegration into the workforce, through targeted actions, subsidized programs, and personalized support.
The drop in unemployment and the 240,000 beneficiaries
According to data presented by Ms. Chormova, unemployment in Greece has fallen from 18% to 8% in recent years, marking—as she notes—the largest decrease in the European Union.
From 2019 to the present, DYPA has implemented a total of 61 employment, entrepreneurship, and professional experience programs, with more than 240,000 beneficiaries.
Particular emphasis is placed on older long-term unemployed individuals.
More than 31,400 citizens have already joined the special employment program for unemployed people aged 55–67 in the public sector and local government, with 77% of them being long-term unemployed.
New programs for 7,500 jobs
At the same time, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is moving forward with new employment subsidy programs for older workers.
Specifically, this involves:
- Program for 2,500 new subsidized positions in municipalities and regions for citizens over 55, with a budget of 45 million euros and a subsidy of up to 75% of wage costs.
- A program to hire 5,000 unemployed people over the age of 50 in the private sector, with a budget of 74 million euros, through which 2,241 citizens have already found work.
At the same time, a special program is underway to hire 1,500 unemployed people over the age of 57 in the public health sector.
“Active aging is an economic necessity”
The director of DYPA emphasizes that active aging is not only a social issue but also an economic necessity, especially during a period of intense demographic pressures.
“We cannot allow the experience of thousands of people to go to waste, ” she notes, emphasizing that the goal is for citizens over 50 to continue participating equally in the country’s productive life.
Source: APE-MPE