Minister of Labour and Social Security, Niki Kerameus, spoke with refreshing directness about the labour market at the HSCC business breakfast, hosted on September 22nd at the Swedish Residence.
We need more people, stronger skills and more open doors.
The Ambassador of Sweden, H.E. Hakan Emsgard and the Chairman of the Hellenic-Swedish Chamber of Commerce, Mr. George Georgakopoulos opened the morning with welcoming remarks.
Among the many topics covered, a few stood out:
▪️ A labour market open to everyone: more people entering the workforce, and remote work connecting talent from every region with businesses.
▪️ Bringing Greek talent home: incentives and initiatives to give young professionals a reason to return.
▪️ The Digital Labour Card: its role in building a more transparent, better-organized market.
▪️ Staff shortages and wages: the biggest challenge for employers today, with a clear goal of raising average wages.
▪️ EU Pay Transparency Directive (2023/970): changes are coming on gender equality, salary clarity at the hiring stage and objective criteria for career progression.
▪️ Demographics: long-term planning and support measures for the workforce in the years ahead.
The message that stood out was about training, reskilling and upskilling. The Minister stressed that businesses must take the lead and invest in their own people. AI isn’t closing doors. It is reshaping the market and creating new roles, and those who train now will be ahead.
Our warmest thanks to Minister Niki Kerameus for her time and openness and to the Ambassador of Sweden, H.E. Hakan Emsgard for hosting us so graciously at the Residence.
It was an honor to have representatives of other embassies and so many valued members and guests with us!
