New findings from the RCI survey conducted by Alba Graduate Business School, The American College of Greece, reveal a slowdown in the labor market and a significant discrepancy in employees’ well-being
The RCI Index reflects the prevailing sentiment among the country’s businesses regarding their intentions to recruit and select staff over the next six months. It is based on executives’ assessments across six key categories, including hiring plans, number of employees, unfilled positions, voluntary departures, and difficulties in recruiting staff.
Downward Trend in the RCI Index
The General RCI Index fell by 3.3 points, from 126.5 in the second half of 2025 to 123.2 in the first half of 2026. A corresponding decline was also recorded in the Skilled and Executive Personnel Index, from 120.6 to 117.9. Both indices essentially returned to the levels of the first half of 2025, yet they remain firmly above the “100 mark,” suggesting that businesses continue to expect an increase in hiring activity, albeit with greater caution.
Slight Increase in Pessimism
The percentage of executives who are optimistic about the future decreased marginally, from 60% to 58.5%, while the increase in pessimism is more noticeable, rising from 21.1% to 25.5%. At the same time, 33% of the sample states that they are “Very” or “Dramatically” affected by current economic conditions, although the majority of companies do not appear to be planning specific measures to address the situation.
Special Topic: Flourishing—The Work-Life Gap
As part of this study, the concept of flourishing was examined for the first time, based on the methodology of Harvard University’s Global Flourishing Study. The findings reveal a significant discrepancy between the level of life satisfaction in general (mean 7.08 on a scale of 0–10) and satisfaction with work in particular (mean 6.06) — a difference that appears across all individual dimensions (happiness, health, meaning, character, relationships).
Furthermore, financial security appears to be closely linked to the level of well-being: participants who feel financially secure have a Well-Being Index score of 7.53, compared to 6.70 for those who feel financially insecure.
“For nearly two decades, the RCI survey has served as a benchmark for the Greek labor market,” said Aristotelis Alexopoulos, Director of Applied Research & Innovation at Alba Graduate Business School. “The findings from the first half of 2026 indicate a market that remains on a positive trajectory, but with growing caution. Perhaps the most interesting finding is the gap between overall life satisfaction and job satisfaction, something that deserves the attention of every company interested in retaining and ensuring the well-being of its workforce.”
About the RCI Survey
The RCI survey has been conducted annually in Greece since 2006; it was first launched in 1999 in the United Kingdom by the Cranfield School of Management in collaboration with the Daily Telegraph. It has also been conducted from time to time in other European countries, such as Spain, Portugal, and Ukraine.
For the first half of 2026, the survey was sponsored by Continental and supported by the Hellenic Human Resources Management Association. The survey was conducted from July 3–7, 2026, with the participation of 94 executives from Greek companies.
The next RCI Index survey is expected in December 2026.
DOWNLOAD THE RCI 2026A SURVEY HERE.
