Greek Youth Struggle Amidst Low Wages and Soaring Expenses

Greek think tank diaNOESIS conducted a major opinion poll that reflects the current issues young people in Greece are facing. At the top of the list of significant problems that the Greek youth are experiencing today, according to the respondents themselves, are low wages.

“The increase in the minimum wage is not at the poverty line; it is poverty itself,” notes the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), calling for price controls on essential consumer goods, particularly food, for one year.

It is characteristic that the 6% increase in the minimum wage as of April 1, only applied to 22% of the total workforce, who, however, remain trapped “in the poverty zone” and are urgently calling for immediate and drastic measures to protect their income.

The study titled “What Greeks Believe” highlights the multifaceted hurdles confronting young individuals in Greece. These encompass low wages, unemployment, career uncertainty, and insurance insecurities. Moreover, the study delineates deficiencies in education, mental health dilemmas, obstacles in starting a family, the legal system, autonomy limitations, restricted opportunities, housing dilemmas, social isolation, restricted freedoms, below average physical health, and instances of discrimination.

As Greece grapples with dwindling birth rates and a shrinking population, a staggering 80.2% of the nation’s youth refrain from starting families, citing financial constraints stemming from poverty as the primary reason.

Furthermore, 52.7% of respondents attribute Greece’s current significant issues to governmental failure, while another 49.1% anticipate continued economic hardship in the nation’s future.