Greece has recorded a sharp increase in declared overtime hours as the government expands its digital work card system to more sectors of the economy, boosting reported working hours and expected social security revenues.
The latest figures show that declared overtime rose by 36.8% between January and July 2026 compared with the same period last year. Meanwhile, the digital work card system is set to cover an additional 500,000 employees in November, bringing the total number of workers covered to approximately 2.5 million, or about 63% of the country’s workforce.
The expansion is also expected to contribute to higher social security revenues. According to the preliminary 2027 state budget, social security funds are projected to collect €1.2 billion more in insurance contributions in 2027 than in 2026.
Declared overtime rises by 36.8%
Workers in sectors covered by the digital work card system reported approximately 5.7 million hours of overtime during the first seven months of 2026, an increase of around 1.54 million hours compared with the same period in 2025.
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The rise follows a substantial increase in declared overtime the previous year, when the number of reported hours grew by 80% compared with 2024.
Wholesale trade recorded the largest increase in overtime during the first seven months of 2026, with declared hours surging by 212.8%, from approximately 280,000 in 2025 to around 880,000. The increase of roughly 600,000 hours was the largest absolute gain among the sectors examined, according to figures from the Labor Ministry.
Administrative and support service activities followed, with a 173% increase, from 27,769 to 75,760 hours.
Overtime in the food service sector rose by 67%, reaching 803,989 hours, compared with 480,940 a year earlier.
Other sectors also reported increases. Declared overtime rose by 50% in financial services and by 48% in supermarkets, while tourism and retail trade each recorded a 20% increase.
Digital work card expands to more sectors
The digital work card system records employees’ working time and is intended to help combat undeclared and underreported employment. Its gradual expansion has changed how working hours are recorded across the sectors covered.
The system has now been fully implemented for employees in several additional fields, including human health activities such as hospitals, treatment centers and diagnostic centers, with doctors excluded. It also covers employment support services, telecommunications, hair salons, beauty centers, laundries and services provided in buildings and outdoor spaces, particularly cleaning services.
A further expansion is planned for November, extending the system to employees in consulting, advertising and other office-related activities, as well as repair services, warehousing and transport-support activities, including logistics, water and wastewater management, and gambling.
The planned expansion will add approximately 500,000 workers to the system, bringing coverage to an estimated 2.5 million employees nationwide.
Social security revenues projected to increase
The preliminary 2027 state budget projects total revenues of €57.623 billion for Greece’s social security organizations.
Insurance contributions are expected to be a major driver of the increase, rising to €31.071 billion in 2027 from €29.870 billion in 2026 — a gain of approximately €1.2 billion.
The projected increase reflects several factors, including higher employment and wages, as well as additional contributions generated by the expansion of the digital work card system into more sectors.
According to the preliminary budget, revenues directly attributed to the use of the digital work card are estimated at €507 million in 2026, an increase of €135 million from 2025.
For 2027, the system is expected to generate an additional €313 million, bringing the total estimated benefit to €685 million.
The gradual expansion of the system is expected to help limit undeclared and underreported work by improving the recording of working hours and the collection of corresponding social security contributions.