In the labour market significant changes were adopted aiming at: -  -  -  better aligning wage developments with firm performance; and enhancing labour mobility across sectors. More specifically, reforms involved measures to decentralise wage bargaining to firm level, reduce minimum wages and relax employment protection (the index reflecting OECD Employment Protection Legislation improved significantly in the period 2008–2013).
Progress with structural reforms in goods and services markets, by contrast, was relatively slower than in the labour market. Nevertheless, according to the OECD, Greece ranked first in responsiveness to structural reform recommendations made by the Organisation. Important progress was also made in lifting barriers to competition in various sectors, including building materials, food processing, retail trade and tourism. The closed professions (e.g.