The Balkan Barometer/Albania marks the highest regional level of unemployment in 2024

This year, INSTAT has not published any indicators related to employment in the country, due to the matching of the Labor Force Survey with the new population data from the 2023 Census.

But data from the Balkan Barometer 2024 survey showed a high unemployment rate among respondents in Albania.

Out of 1000 respondents, 20% were unemployed in our country, the highest regional level and by far from the others.

The regional average of unemployment among respondents was 11%. The lowest level of unemployment resulted in Kosovo 4%, Serbia with 7%, Montenegro 9%, North Macedonia 13% and Bosnia, 11%.

Among the respondents, Albania also had 15% self-employment, the highest level in the Region, therefore we have the lowest percentage of salaried employees.

In 1000 people questioned in our country, 39% of them were salaried employees, Kosovo had the highest level of salaried employees with 65% of the respondents, Serbia with 54%, Bosnia with 52, North Macedonia with 48% and Montenegro with 52%.

Of the 6 Western Balkan countries, a large percentage in North Macedonia (21%) and Serbia (28%) were pensioners.

In the quarterly reviews of the economy's progress, the Bank of Albania, through alternative data, referred to slower employment growth in 2024.

Survey indicators show that business expectations for employment have decreased during the first quarter, while the situation is estimated to have improved during the second quarter of the current year.

The employment indicator will probably experience the strongest change from the new 2023 Census data. The working age population of 15-64 years has decreased significantly in the period between the two censuses 2011-2023 according to INSTAT data.

Preliminary data from the results of the 2023 census show that the working-age population was 1,555,080 people, from 1,903,987 with a decrease of 18.3% compared to the data of the 2011 census.

The reduction of the working-age population will reduce the indicators of the degree of laziness in Albania and will significantly change the indicators of employment.

At the end of 2023, 1,243,085 people aged 15-64 were officially employed, which make up 80% of the working-age population./ Monitor