The Imminent 4th Outbreak of Covid-19 in Greece and Labor Scarcity in food industry

Since week 42, Greece counts an explosive increase of Covid-19 new cases. During week 44, local authorities reported almost 6,000 new cases daily while only 60% of the population had successfully fully vaccinated. Rural labor resources in Greece decreased by 20% since 2019, due to immigration to other Europe countries, from South to North. During week 43-44, labor scarcity affected food industries especially meat processors, packing houses and growers, that missed 15-20% of workforce. As a result, food business operators expect reduced production rates, delay in exports and local retail deliveries. Labor scarcity in rural areas is expected to peak in the coming weeks, since olive tree harvest intensifies.