ATHENS – More than 215,000 jobs in Greece – including 55,000 in tourism – are going begging with not enough workers to fill them or shunning low-paying back-breaking positions to find other work.

The New Democracy government is counting on tourism, which brings in 18-20 percent of the annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 191.41 billion euros ($200.3 billion) to fuel a recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health measures were eased to essentially being ended in a bid to bring in more foreign visitors as the season got off to an early start, showing signs of a big year with many Greeks, ironically, unable to afford domestic travel.

While there’s not enough staff such as cleaners and waiters and waitresses and chefs for hotels and bars and restaurants and taverns in tourist areas, the construction sector also can’t find workers as projects are returning, said Kathimerini.

At least 160,000 workers are needed for the construction and technical sectors – there’s not enough scientists and IT workers – the report said, employers frustrated they can’t fill jobs.

The tourism industy is so worried it asked the government to allow pensioners who are prohibited from working – as well as teachers off the ob in the summer – to be allowed to work in tourist jobs without penalty.

Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) head Giorgos Stasinos told the paper more than 10,000 additional engineers and more than 50,000 additional craftsmen are needed, while the number of extra working staff required exceeds 100,000 people.

“We have in front us a huge challenge, unique in history, volume and quantity – i.e. public and private projects that must be implemented in just a few years,” he said. “But the construction sector has lost a large part of its basic resources in the last few years: the people with knowledge, experience and skills required to implement all these projects.”

The Greek Tourism Confederation estimates that out of the 250,000 jobs Greek hotels require, more than 50,000 of all specialties remain vacant after earlier reports it was as high as 55,000.

Tourist businesses are offering higher salaries but it can’t offset the cost that workers would face while living on islands for the summer, and the government has to deal with the bad image of Mykonos with reports that visitors are being gouged and no attempt to stop it.