Employment in Greece's agricultural sector is steadily shrinking, putting additional pressure on overall employment rates in rural regions. According to the latest data from ELSTAT for the fourth quarter of 2024, employment in agriculture, forestry, and fishing recorded an annual decline of 7.6%. An even sharper drop was observed in the mining and quarrying sector, where employment plummeted by 38.8%.
The decline in agricultural employment is a concerning development, given the sector’s crucial role in Greece’s economy, particularly in rural areas. Several factors seem to be driving this trend, including a lack of investment in modern agricultural technologies, an aging farming population, reduced competitiveness of Greek agricultural products, and the impact of climate change on crops.
This trend could lead to more workers abandoning rural areas, accelerating urbanization and exacerbating demographic challenges in many parts of the country.
The drop in employment is having a direct impact on regions that rely heavily on these sectors. According to ELSTAT data, Western Macedonia experienced the sharpest decline in employment, with a 2.4% decrease compared to the third quarter of 2024. Epirus followed with a 1.2% decline, while Eastern Macedonia and Thrace saw a 0.8% drop. Central Macedonia and Thessaly also reported decreases, though to a lesser extent, at 0.7% and 0.5%, respectively.
At the same time, unemployment is rising sharply, with Central Macedonia recording the highest increase at 4.6% compared to the previous quarter, followed by Epirus, where unemployment rose by 3.8%.
