More than 150,000 Greek graduates moved to 70 countries in past 5 years

Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Economy, Society

More than 150,000 Greek graduates are estimated to have moved to more than 70 countries in the past five years in order to find work, a conference organized by the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki heard on Wednesday.
According to data drawn from a recent study by economic geography professor Lois Lambrianidis, the majority of those graduates are pursuing careers in Britain, Germany, France and the United States.
Speaking at the conference, Lambrianidis said that 61 percent of expat graduates did not even apply for a job in Greece after completing their studies here or abroad.
“Moving abroad may be the best thing to do on a personal level,” Lambrianidis told the conference. “This is not a problem for those young scientists, but for the state,” he added, urging officials in Greece, which has an unemployment rate of over 26 percent, to take action to contain the brain drain. (via ekathimerini)
Cchanging mentalities would also help. Otherwise finding a job will be possible only through personnal connections, friends and relatives also in the future.