EC: 4.1% Greeks Think of Migrating

Some 4,1% Greek citizens are thinking of migrating, according to the European Commission’s quarterly report on employment and social conditions in Europe, which was released on June 25.

According to the Commission’s report, the decline in employment and soaring  youth employment in some EU member states over the last four years has  contributed to the increase of mobility within the EU.
Specifically, the percentage of European citizens with “serious intentions to migrate within the following 12 months” was more than doubled from 0,5% in 2010 to 1,2% in 2012. Greeks record the highest rate of Europeans seriously intending to migrate within the following year (4,1%). Then follow Lithuanians (3,9%), Latvians (3,8%), Bulgarians (3,4%) and Romanians (2,8%).

According to the same data, in 2012 one out of four Greeks (24%) wanted to migrate permanently and 63% wanted to migrate within the EU. In the EU, the corresponding percentages are 20% and 44%. The British record the largest percentage of Europeans wanting to migrate permanently, while almost one out of four Belgians, Bulgarians, Greeks, Cypriots, Hungarians, Italians, Latvians, Lithuanians and Portuguese, want to migrate permanently.

It should be noted that the highest percentage of long-term unemployed people is recorded in Greece, with 16,8% in 2012, as well as the highest percentage of unemployed young people, with 60% in February 2013.