Experts, opposition complain of employment contractions, power denies

Referring to recent reports of the Kosovo Statistics Agency and the Pension Savings Fund Trust for decline in employment, MP from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Pal Lekaj criticises Finance, Labour and Transfers Minister Hekuran Murati for having no arguments on contesting the figures of these state institutions.

Kosova Prees reported a week ago that according to the Kosovo Statistics Agency, in the first quarter (TM1) in 2022 have been employed 388 thousand 531 people, while that number in April 1923 has dropped to 360 thousand and 446 citizens. Although it should be stressed that in the statistics of the AKS published, the source is said to have ATK.

Meanwhile, the number of accounts active at the Pension Trust in TM1 2023 is 331 thousand and 276, while at TM4 2022 it was 428 thousand 891, or 97 thousand and 615, it is the smallest number of active accounts in the Trust, compared to TM1 2023 with TM4 2022.

This economic connoisseur is expressed by this phenomenon, as they say, if there are only no good fiscal policies from the government, this trend will continue further.

The opposition accuses the government, saying it has failed its social and economic policies, and for that, young people have been forced to migrate.

MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Ferat Shala until addressing criticism of power for mismanagement, says capital investments are lacking.

There are several social and economic factors which depend on state institutions and which in the last two or three years, we have failed as governments, especially the government of Kosovo, with its social and economic policies. We see no change in developmental investment policies that would open up to credit jobs, where our young people would stop and find themselves in Kosovo. We don't have big and good capital investments where people could find themselves in different sectors. We have a huge lack of investments in the infrastructure and spatial planning section”, Shala says.

MP from the Vetevendosje Movement, Armend Muja denies there is a decline in the number of jobs. Yet, the same says that it expects improvement in demand in the job market.

The head of the parliamentary Commission for Buzhet is also trying to reason with the latest ASC report on Labour Market Administrative Statistics, which is responsible for the Kosovo Tax Administration.

“The first message we received on the basis of KSF publication, is that there is a breakthrough, or an increase in private sector wages, which is a small but very important step to improve the well-being of those working in the private sector. While, on the basis of administrative data on the labour market, we have increased jobs or formalisations that remain secondary issues. But the important thing is that it may have gone to primary work around 370 thousand, while another 20 thousand countries, according to them secondary during the winter period, which is October, and from April to September we have an increase in work activities in Kosovo due to the arrival of the diaspora, the service. So I expect an improvement in the demand on the job market”, Muja points out.

Muja adds that as many as they have left their jobs, they have increased in those markets, but it does not rule out the possibility of migration by young people, who are normal for it.

“Migrating are two factors, the source attractive ones there and the binding ones, if new or older generations are unable to find a job and have attractive factors there, or that demand may be a consequence of it, while this is legal, we should accept it as normal. While, in terms of what the opposition says, the biggest escapes in Kosovo occurred between 2008 and 2020, there are over 200 thousand who have left Kosovo, the biggest exits have occurred there, but then there are” returns, Muja says.

Professor at the University of Pristina Sejed Rexhepi points out the reasons for workers who are abandoning jobs in Kosovo.

The first reason for this, Professor Rexhepi says it is low wages.

“should have the wages assessed for the contribution. The other element is increased prosperity, a part of those working are willing to quit if there is no reasonable salary, even under threat of liberalisation coming and going... We've also got unemployed people looking for jobs, but now you're waiting for January 2024... Next year could mark the lowest unemployment rate because a portion of those looking for jobs could be temporarily outside”, Rexhepi says.

Professor at the Economic Faculty says that the unemployed are disappointed by the political and economic situation in the country, so young people see their prospects abroad.

All of those unemployed who are waiting on the job market in Kosovo to hire are disappointed, either by the political situation, the socioeconomic situation, in this context they see their perspective abroad”, says Skiner.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance, Labour and Transfers, Iron Murati, has reacted to the Kosovo Press report, saying accurate information according to the ATK's latest report is that, for April 2023, 395,166 employees, or about 7 thousand more than TM1 2022.