Purpose - The significance of young, well-educated workers in the Greek labour market has been largely neglected in studies addressing the issue of low participation rate in the labour force of the country. This study focuses on the reluctance of Greek students to enter the labour market and combine studies with paid work. This article reports on a survey that aimed to examine to what extent university students in Greece seek to work during term-time and to explore student perceptions of combining studies and work. Design/methodology/approach - The survey was conducted in May 2003 and involved 466 full-time undergraduate students at the Universities of Macedonia and Aristotle in Thessaloniki, Greece. A structured questionnaire was used in exploring students' perceptions of working and studying full-time simultaneously. Findings - The survey found that only 22 per cent of students have entered wage labour, while inactivity rate is very high, amounting to 55 per cent. Although many students assess employability after graduation as the main motivation for working, the majority of them are discouraged to search for a job because of schedule conflicts and lack of job opportunities. Practical implications - In breaking this deadlock the article explores the idea of restructuring the internal labour market in Greek universities by expanding services and offering part-time job positions to their students. Originality/value - Given the dearth of empirical research on youth employment in Greece, this paper aims to contribute to debates in the wider academic community on the issue of preparing young, well-educated people to enter the Greek labour market.