Satisfied with their work, but not with their superiors, tired from financial pressure and ready to adapt to changes, mainly due to the use of Artificial Intelligence, in many cases faster than the businesses they work for, Greek employees appear.
A survey by PwC Greece in which 801 employees participated shows a significant improvement in terms of job satisfaction, but also significant differences in their professional prospects, as a major decline is observed in access to training and development of new skills.
Specifically, 64% say they are satisfied with their work, 73% feel proud of their job and 66% are willing to contribute beyond what is required. At the same time, of course, trust in immediate supervisors stands at 46% and in senior management at 39%, reduced by 5 and 2 percentage points respectively compared to last year.
The increase in the cost of living affects the working daily life of 72% of Greeks. Only 10% have the ability to save money after paying their bills (down from 17% in 2024), while 57% cover their bills but have almost nothing left over. Economic uncertainty/instability (67%-71%) is considered the main threat to job retention.
Compensation is the top priority but only 47% believe they are paid fairly. Despite the financial pressure, only 33% say they are likely to ask for a raise within the next year, compared with 41% globally.
At the same time, 46% experienced significant changes in their work over the past year. 38% needed to apply new skills and 39% to learn new tools and technologies. For 35% their responsibilities changed, while 39% report an increase in workload.
One of the key messages of this year's survey is that Greek employees adapt quickly, in many cases faster than the organizations they work for. They are using artificial intelligence more and more and believe in their ability to acquire new skills. However, training and professional development opportunities are becoming limited, while the benefits of AI are distributed unevenly.
Thus, daily AI users report greater trust in management and more security about their position. At the same time, they view its long-term impact more positively (48% versus 26% of occasional users) and feel more confident that they can acquire new skills (70% versus 46%).
The different use of AI also leads to employees of many speeds. The "core" of the workforce (Engine Room) includes employees with more common skills and limited professional benefits from AI. It accounts for 69% of employees in Greece, 13 percentage points more than the corresponding global percentage (56%).
The "emerging AI pioneers" (AI Insurgents), at 13%, gain an advantage through technology, although their skills are also more widespread. The "indispensables" (Indispensables), at 11%, possess hard-to-find expertise, without yet reaping significant benefits from AI. And finally, the "front-runners" (Front-runners) combine hard-to-find skills with a strong professional advantage from AI and account for just 7% in Greece, compared with 14% globally.
In detail, the main findings of the survey:
Satisfaction - Employee Psychology
- Increase in Satisfaction: 64% of Greek employees say they are satisfied with their work (+15 percentage points compared with 2024), with 73% feeling proud of their work.
- Low Enthusiasm: Only 53% look forward to going to work (versus 67% globally), while 66% are willing to make an effort beyond their obligations.
- Age Gap: Older age groups (Baby Boomers and GenX) show significantly higher levels of motivation and work enthusiasm compared with younger ones (GenZ and Millennials).
2. Decline in Trust in Management
- Drop in Trust: Trust in the immediate supervisor fell to 46% (-5 percentage points compared with 2025), while trust in senior management stands at 39% (-2 percentage points).
- Corporate Culture: Employees believe that Greek organizations reward and recognize mainly the avoidance of mistakes/risk minimization (37%) and compliance with rules/procedures (32%), leaving innovation or the effective use of AI in very low positions (6%).
3. Financial Pressure and Uncertainty
- Cost of Living: 72% of employees are significantly affected by the increase in the cost of living.
- Financial Hardship: Only 10% of employees have the ability to save money after paying their bills (down from 17% in 2024), while 57% cover their bills but have almost nothing left over.
- Job Security: 58% feel certain about retaining their job (versus 61% internationally). The main threat to job retention is considered to be economic uncertainty/instability (67%-71%).
4. Artificial Intelligence (AI and GenAI)
- Increase in Use: 64% have used Artificial Intelligence tools in the last 12 months. 37% use GenAI daily (versus 23% in 2025), making daily users the largest group.
- Empowerment and Security: Daily GenAI users show higher trust in management (52%), greater certainty about their job security (60%) and greater confidence in acquiring new skills (70%).
- Job Transformation: More than 50% expect substantial or radical changes in their job within the next three years due to AI.
- Barriers to Use: The main concerns focus on the accuracy/quality of AI results (27%) and the lack of opportunities/incentives for implementation (22%-25%).
5. Skills, Training and Productivity
- Development and Training: Although 58% say they are confident in their ability to learn new skills, only 41% report that they have access to the necessary learning and development resources in their company (-7 percentage points from last year).
- Productivity Barriers: The main barriers are human/organizational and not technological: professional exhaustion / burnout (35%) and lack of time due to heavy workload (28%).
6. Widening of the "Readiness Gap"
- Overrepresentation in the "Engine Room": 69% of the Greek workforce is classified in the "The Engine Room" category (employees with low specialization/skill scarcity and limited benefit from AI), versus 56% globally (+13 percentage points).
- Lack of Pioneers: Only 7% belong to the "Front-runners" (high skill scarcity & high benefit from AI), versus 14% internationally, highlighting a deficit in the development of talent that will lead the digital transition.