AI, Automation, and Wages: How Technology Is Reshaping Greece’s Job Market

A new policy paper authored by economist PhD Stefanos Tyros and published by the Athens-based think tank Eteron in April 2025 sheds light on the evolving dynamics of Greece’s labor market from 2011 to 2023.

Titled “From Artificial to Collective Intelligence,” the report examines how technological transformations—including

The study begins by situating the Greek labor market in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, which led to a loss of nearly 30% of the country's GDP and sent unemployment soaring to historic levels. While recovery from the crisis has been slow and uneven, Tyros points out that the official return of unemployment to pre-crisis levels masks deeper shifts in the nature and quality of jobs available. Using extensive data from ELSTAT and labor force surveys, the report shows that while employment has rebounded, wage growth has lagged significantly and remains below 2009 levels in real terms.

One of the most striking findings is the highly uneven distribution of job recovery across occupational groups. While certain high-skill professions—such as executives and professionals—have seen partial wage recovery, many jobs created in the past decade fall within lower-wage, lower-skill sectors, such as sales and basic service work. According to Tyros, this has kept average wages suppressed, even as overall employment indicators improved.

Crucially, the report maps Greece’s employment landscape against three technological indices: susceptibility to automation, exposure to green technologies, and vulnerability or compatibility with artificial intelligence. The analysis finds that the proportion of jobs exposed to traditional automation—such as clerical and service tasks—has increased sharply. Green jobs, by contrast, have declined since 2013, a finding that casts doubt on the country’s progress toward a sustainable economy. Jobs linked to artificial intelligence have remained relatively stable, with a mild uptick in recent years.

Tyros notes that these technological forces will not impact all workers equally. Women, for example, are more exposed to jobs likely to be affected by automation and AI, while men dominate the shrinking pool of green jobs. This gender-based technological gap is especially concerning for long-term inequality. Although the share of women in the workforce has increased modestly over the past decade, they remain concentrated in lower-paying and more technologically vulnerable roles.

Another layer of disparity lies in geography. The report identifies significant differences in technological exposure and job growth between regions, with Attica showing greater diversification and resilience than other parts of the country. Regional policy implications are significant, Tyros argues, especially as national strategies to manage technological change must account for local labor market structures.

The report also challenges some optimistic narratives surrounding digital transformation. While AI is often heralded as a driver of productivity and growth, Tyros warns that its integration into the Greek labor market appears fragmented and selective. Many of the jobs most exposed to AI are high-paying and decision-intensive, which suggests that the benefits of AI may remain limited to elite segments of the workforce unless broader upskilling policies are implemented.

In its conclusion, the study calls for a holistic labor policy framework that actively prepares workers for technological transitions, rather than passively reacting to them. Investments in education, particularly vocational training aligned with green and AI-intensive sectors, are presented as key levers for inclusive growth.