ATHENS – Greece’s attempt to lure workers with technical skills is being hurt by low salaries in the sector with most job openings going to low-skilled applicants with meager pay despite the minimum wage being lifted.

Data from domestic and foreign sources showed that low-paying positions grew at the fastest rate among the 38 countries which are members of the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Kathimerini, while mid-level and highly skilled, and well-paid, jobs fell across the board in many business areas, with fewer opportunities.

Even as the unemployment rate in June fell to 12.1 percent, the lowest in 12 years, there were relatively few jobs with good pay in areas including industry, construction and the service sector and 50,000 vacancies in tourism positions.

Not having enough good quality jobs has seen people with skills again leaving Greece to find positions elsewhere, as they did during a 2010-18 economic and austerity crisis, people trying to be self-employed or giving up, the paper said.