Work force is rapidly aging; 50 pct over 40

New sectors remain underdeveloped

Greece's work force is aging at a rapid pace, with practically one in two workers currently aged over 40, while younger people are finding it increasingly difficult to find jobs.

According to data provided by the National Statistics Service, in major sectors such as farming, public administration and education workers over 40 well outstrip their younger colleagues, and the gap is broadening year by year.

The highest concentration of over-40-year-olds in the work force is in the state Public Power Corporation, where there are three for every younger employee.

On the other hand, sectors that would be expected to attract an overall younger crowd of workers - information technology and research and development - are still pint-sized by European Union standards.

Some 20,000 people are employed in the IT business, of whom 11,000 are aged under 30, and a total of 10,344 work in research and development, with about half aged over 40.

On the other hand, in the major sector of agriculture - including livestock-breeding and related fields - which provides a livelihood for just under 530,000 people, only 174,000 are aged under 40, and of these, a mere 68,474 are younger than 30.

Out of the 355,000 people in the sector aged over 40, some 105,000 are in their 60s.

The over-40s easily outnumber their younger colleagues in public administration, the military and the security forces as well, where a total of some 356,000 people are employed.

Around 186,000 are in their 40s or over, leaving 170,000 in their teens, 20s and 30s. But even among the younger workers, the trend holds. Only 64,000 are aged under 30, with 106,000 aged 30-39.

Education, too, is dominated by the over-40s, who represent 165,000 out of a total work force of 318,000. Of the rest, 41,000 are under 30, and nearly 112,000 are in their 30s.

In the domestic services sector, 43,000 are aged 40 and over, with younger workers making up the remaining 27,000.

The retail and wholesale sectors have higher proportions of younger workers.

Overall, young people are finding it more and more difficult to find employment, despite their rising qualifications.

«Job opportunities are generally limited, for many reasons,» said Aliki Mouriki, sociologist and researcher at the National Center for Social Research. «First of all, the types of work that act as a bridge into the labor market, such as part-time work, are not very widespread in Greece. At the same time, the Greek work force is immobile. It is difficult to get a job, but just as difficult to leave one.»