Greece: Nearly 300,000 pensioners return to the workforce

An increasing number of Greek pensioners are returning to the workforce to supplement their income, driven by the cost of living and a relatively low average net pension of 815 euros. Approximately 298,600 pensioners have officially declared employment through the e-EFKA electronic platform.

Of these, 91,500 are salaried employees, 72,100 are self-employed, and 135,000 are farmers. While 163,600 working pensioners (salaried and self-employed) are eligible for pension increases by paying social security contributions, farmers are currently excluded from this obligation and cannot qualify for such increases.

The Ministry of Labour is considering legislative changes to recalculate pensions every five years of employment, rather than the current cumulative practice applied after employment ceases. Currently, over 10,000 beneficiaries are already receiving increased pensions, with some monthly increases exceeding 100 euros.