ECONOMY

Flexible labor forms dominate job creation

Flexible labor forms dominate job creation

The number of employment contracts that shifted from full-time to flexible forms of labor soared by over 200 percent from 2009 to 2018, according to a report by the General Confederation for Greek Labor (GSEE) on the Greek economy. This illustrates the growing trend toward part-time work and fixed-term contracts in the private sector, with a direct impact on the incomes of employees and the revenues of the social security funds.

Figures show the steep increase in the share of hirings that flexible forms of labor represent, from 21 percent in 2009 to 54.3 percent in 2018, a trend that has propped up job creation in this period.

The GSEE report notes that the slow decline of unemployment is only happening as a result of hirings flexible and uncertain forms of labor in low-skilled jobs. While the data concern the 2009-18 period, the GSEE analysts say the phenomenon is set to grow further in the coming years.

Labor Ministry officials point out that the revenues of the Single Social Security Fund (EFKA) recorded a decline in the March-April period compared to last year, which is not explained by the course of employment, the jobless rate and the increase of the minimum salary to 650 euros per month since February 1.

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