Kosovo stagnates with labor force statistics, criticized by the European Commission
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5 months ago
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Kosovo is facing delays in the publication of labor force statistics for 2024. The Kosovo Statistics Agency (ASK) continues to have no official data regarding the number of the labor force for 2024, while the countries of the region have published them these statistics. Even the European Commission in the Progress Report has "reprimanded" Kosovo for the delay in publishing data on the rate of participation in the labor force. In the report for the country, it is also evident that the labor market in Kosovo continues to suffer from very low participation and high unemployment.
As for the year 2023, Kosovo continues to have the largest number of unemployed, compared to the countries of the region. Regarding the data from the Statistics Agency of Kosovo, it appears that about 40 percent of the working population are employed. Meanwhile, almost 700 thousand citizens of working age are inactive, or about 60 percent (they neither work nor look for work).
Bujar Hajrizi from the Kosovo Statistics Agency tells KosovaPress that in the last report for 2023, the rate of participation in the labor force was 40.7, adding that the rate of non-activity was 59.3.
"In 2023, the labor force participation rate was 40.7 (able to work) percent, of which 57.8 percent were men and 24.2 percent were women. Whereas the rate of non-activity was 59.3 percent, of which 42.2 percent were men and 75.8 percent were women. While the ratio of employment to the population, which is the employment rate, was 36.3 percent, of which 53.4 percent were men, as well as 19.8 percent were women. On the other hand, the unemployment rate in 2023 was 10.9 percent, of which 7.7 percent were men and 18.2 percent were women. Expressed in absolute numbers, the labor force was 477 thousand 350 people, of which 333 thousand 19 people were men, while women were 144 thousand 331. Out of them, 425 thousand 499 people were employed, of them men 307 thousand 509, as well as 117 thousand 990 women. While unemployed persons according to the labor force survey in absolute numbers were 51 thousand 851 persons, while of them there were 35 thousand 510 males and 26 thousand 341 females. says Hajrizi.
Hajrizi from this institution says that even in Kosovo, the labor force survey is conducted within housing units based on the methodology of the European Union, EUROSTAT. Meanwhile, he says that they do not receive employment data from local institutions, the Trust and the Tax Administration of Kosovo (ATK).
However, the Statistics Agency has shown how employment and unemployment are handled in the country.
According to Hajrizi, unlike the employed, unemployed persons are all those persons who did not work during the reference week.
He states that the persons of the labor force are all those persons who are employed and unemployed, who make up the labor force at the age of the population. Meanwhile, it also explains how an inactive power is calculated.
While, according to the World Bank, Kosovo continues to have the highest number of unemployment in the region. According to the latest WB report, only 37 percent of the working population is employed.
