Over 100 thousand Kosovars work without contracts, these are jobs that “shut down” in the pandemic

They're afraid that we might have contact with someone who was infected with coronary, that's why they're not hiring us. I have many friends who have been looking for work in this way (through proclamations) in the past and have found work, but now they say it is difficult because of the pandemic”, says the River, which has published on a website.

Despite increased care, close contact with children frightens parents, says the river.

She also says that parents began caring for their children for themselves because some of them had lost their jobs and some worked from home.

After much effort, Erizona Haziray has been able to work as an assistant to household chores in a family.

During the pandemic, she says, employment as a home assistant has been difficult, since she felt that everyone was afraid of the virus.

The “initially refused to hire me because of the pandemic. But now it's easier, I've got a job”, Erizona says Radio Free Europe.

Fear of infection with COVID-19, has affected every citizen. To avoid as much infection as possible, families who have engaged in house - care aids have taken care of their own household care or even child care.

The Kosovo government has helped the unemployed through emergency packages in March 2020, separating them from 130 euros for three months.

Employees Without Jobs

In Kosovo, these two professions are largely performed by women, who even when employed in most cases have no work contracts and enter the category of informal employees.

The contract implies that the employer is obliged to present the employee to the Kosovo Tax Administration and other institutions, which manage and manage mandatory pension schemes and other schemes.

The exact number of these workers is unknown, since such cases are not reported to competent authorities.

Yusuf Azemi, chairman of the Independent Private Sector Union, said that according to their data on the labour market, without contracts it is estimated to be over 100,000 workers.

He says this number was higher before pandemic, but some have already lost their jobs.

As long as we have workers with business contracts as we have contracts. For this blame is the Labour Inspectorate, which, unfortunately, private sector workers do not properly protect. When they come to us and complain, they say not to send them to the inspectors, since they do not help them at all, except that they may be left unworked, Azem says.

Workers who do not have contracts, do not pay taxes and personal contributions, and have thus failed to benefit from the Kosovo Government's emergency packages, which have been aimed at easing the consequences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The private sector in Kosovo accounts for the biggest employer in whom more than 220 thousand workers are estimated to work.

Unemployment in Kosovo continues to have high levels and up to 30 per cent according to official data.