Facts Discounting Minister Besnik Bislimi for Reducing Unemployment

According to data provided by the InFokus newspaper by the Employment Agency in Kosovo, it turns out that only 20 new jobs were opened in April, while more than 17 thousand men and 14,000 women have sought jobs.

So show the data of this institution, which only includes the number of jobseekers who apply directly to regional employment centres, without counting the data on other forms of direct employment to employers.

According to these data, the number of job seekers in Kosovo has increased especially this month.

Compared to the next months of this year and the average train, tens of times more job seekers have applied in April than before.

This is estimated to be the result of Kosovo Government measures to support specific categories of society financially through fiscal package.

InFokus newspaper found that in March only 827 citizens had applied as job seekers to employment offices, while 411 jobs had been opened.

Meanwhile, in February the number of those trusting employment offices to find work was 1,719, or 750 people less than in January.

Employment Agency data in Kosovo shows that on the date the institution's base until April 30th, 126 thousand citizens figure job seekers.

But despite this situation, the registration of over 10,000 young workers in Kosovo's Tax Administration to benefit from the government's fiscal package is being assessed as a good sign for reducing the country's unemployment by Kosovo Finance Minister Besnik Bislimi.

He is proud Tuesday that the number of unemployed in just one month has dropped by 6.6%, which represents the largest drop in the last 20 years.

“Since 1999, the unemployment rate in Kosovo has never been lower than 24.5%x1>, Bislimi wrote.

However, the head of Kosovo's finances has been criticised for the fact that economic connoisseurs estimate that no matter how good it may look, it cannot be taken for a real reduction in unemployment, as it has not been reported for opening new jobs and doubts have been raised about manipulation of businesses with employees.

In this period when the economy is blocked worldwide, including Kosovo, the Bislim statement has been praised with the intention of manipulation.

In this regard a day after declaring that in a month unemployment has been reduced to 24.1 percent, Bislim has reacted by saying he is not correctly understood.

According to him, he has only referred to new records, and if taken as the only change in this period means that the level of official unemployment would drop to 24.1%.

However, he says the measures of the fiscal package have created the proper ground for formalising those for years who have considered it convenient to operate outside legal frameworks.