Kosovo unemployment rate rises by 3%

The unemployment rate in Kosovo has marked growth. While the unemployment rate was 27.5 percent in 2016, in 2017 it was 30.5 percent.

Thus, compared with 2016, we have an increase in unemployment rates by 3 percent in 2017.

With all this unemployment rate, according to the Kosovo Statistics Agency (ASK), two-thirds of the population in the country are ready for work.

According to AKS data, published in the “Workers Power Index (AFP) report, 2017”, only 42.8 percent of the people capable of work are involved in the workforce.

From 42.8 percent of the population, which is economically active, 30.5 percent, or 156,583 people are unemployed. This means that 69.5 percent, or 357,095 of economically active persons are employed, creating an employment report on the population, or employment rate, of 29.8 percent”, the ASS report says, Telegrafi.

According to this report, there were 156,583 people of the 15-64 age group who were unemployed, 113,070 of whom were male and 43,513 women, where unemployment rates were 30.5 percent, higher in women at 36.6 percent than in men.

Compared to the 2016 report, there has been an increase in participation in the workforce by 4.1 percent in Kosovo, where this increase in males was 7 percent, since women were only 1.4 percent.

Unemployment rates compared to 2016, result in growth, especially among young people or 15-24-year-old groups. In 2017, youths were twice as likely to be unemployed as adults, since about 52.7 percent of the new population was unemployed. Young people of this age group who were unemployed for 2017 make up 27.4 percent of the unemployed in overall unemployment.

On gender grounds, the job market continues to be marked by a high degree of unemployment, especially among females.

In 2017, female unemployment rates stood at 36.6 percent and 28.7 percent among males, while according to age groups are young women with the highest unemployment rate of 65.3 percent. The percentage of young unemployed women, 15-24 age groups, in overall unemployment was 31.4 percent in 2017 and 23.8 percent in men with the same age group.

In 2017, young people in Kosovo were twice as likely to be unemployed as adults.

Education has improved prospects on the labour market in Kosovo.

According to the ASS for 2017, unemployment rates were higher for illiterate people by about 59.7 percent, while all those who completed university education constitute only 19 percent of the unemployed.

However, in Kosovo's labour market, the long - term character of unemployment remains.

During 2017 an increase in long - term unemployment is estimated at 71.5 percent, with 65.5 percent in 2016.

94,815 youth in the 15-24 age group during 2017 did not attend schooling, were not employed or trained, and 31.4 percent were women, compared to 23.8 percent were male.