The imbalance between scientists and technicians in Greece, in favor of the former, has been known for several years. However, the situation now seems to be getting worse year by year – due to both the aging population and the refusal of younger generations to inherit their parents’ business or technical profession – so that even the continuation of business operations is now at risk.
According to a KPMG survey on small and medium entrepreneurship carried out by KPMG on behalf of the Athens Chamber of Small and Medium Industries (BEA), 74% of companies – mainly in the technical professions sector – stated that they face a lack of suitable staff.
Almost eight out of 10 companies said this problem affects the production capacity and the general development of their businesses, with more than six out of 10 companies stating that due to the lack of staff they have been forced to reduce their operations, either in output or in hours.
The problem in some traditional, but absolutely necessary industries is even more acute: 92% of the companies in the “car repair shops” sector that participated in the research said they face a shortage of skilled craftsmen due to the low availability in the labor market (53%) and the lack of proper training (27%).
