Greek workers face stagnant real wages as one‑quarter receive employer food vouchers

A survey by the I.M.E. GSEBEE found that about 27.7% of Greek employees receive food vouchers or cards from their employers, a measure seen by 62.5% of firms as a way to support purchasing power and by 40% as a staff‑retention tool. Three‑quarters of recipients rate the benefit as important, and most have used it for more than three years.

The INE‑GSEE annual report shows that the average real annual wage in 2025 is €14,998, 31% below its 2009 level, despite a nominal increase to €18,134. Real wages have barely moved since 2019, limiting household consumption and living standards.

Eurozone consumer‑inflation expectations fell to 3.5% for the next 12 months, down from 4% the month before, while three‑ and five‑year expectations remained stable.

Eurostat data place Greece last among EU members in the employment rate of graduates aged 20‑34, with only 62.4% employed in 2025, far below the EU average of 83%.

The Bank of Greece reports that the transmission of ECB policy to business‑loan rates in Greece is symmetric; banks do not raise rates more in upswing cycles nor cut them less in downturns, indicating a well‑functioning money market.