Handelsblatt is painting a positive picture of Greece’s efforts to “win back” skilled professionals who chose to work abroad during the years of economic crisis. In a report by correspondent Gerd Heller, the German newspaper describes a country gradually transforming its brain drain into a brain gain. According to the publication, Greece has developed a comprehensive strategy to attract back its skilled emigrant workers, leveraging tax incentives, subsidies, and job-matching platforms.
Brain gain in Greece: “The success is remarkable”
“The success is remarkable. Almost two-thirds of those who emigrated have since returned,” Handelsblatt notes, adding, however, that financial incentives are not the primary driver of return. “Far more decisive are family ties, quality of life, and an emotional connection to the homeland,” the newspaper states, citing a recent study by the OECD and Greece’s National Documentation Centre (EKT).
The report highlights that the emigration wave represented the largest population exodus in Europe since World War II, with more than 700,000 Greeks leaving their country. Handelsblatt notes that since 2019, the Greek government has been working to reverse this trend.
What the data shows
According to figures cited in the newspaper and attributed to Labour Minister Niki Kerameus, approximately 734,000 people left Greece over the past 15 years, while 473,000 have since returned. Notably, since 2023, Greece’s migration balance has turned positive for the first time.
The OECD and National Documentation Centre study reveals that more than half of those who have returned are between the ages of 20 and 39, approximately 60% hold a university degree, and nearly half are employed in highly skilled professions.
The wage gap challenge
Nevertheless, Handelsblatt points out that Greece continues to lag behind on wages. Skilled workers in Greece earn on average 43% less than the European Union average, according to the report. Some 82% of returnees cited closeness to family and friends as their most important motivation for coming back, while 63% pointed to quality of life.
