18 % of Kosovo employees cannot postpone month at their expense

Today is May 1, the day marking the International Workers' Day worldwide, a symbol of historical work rights efforts, better conditions, and dignity for employees.

This day relates to the union movements of the XIX century, especially to protests on the eight-hour working hours, and today serves as a moment of reflection on the challenges of the labour market, from wages and job security, to transformations that are bringing digital economy and automation.

For Albanian workers, there is not much to celebrate this day. The data from a recent European Commission report on polling on working conditions and sustainable work, which was realised once in 5 years and released in April, found that 39% of Albanian workers have difficulty, or much difficulty in closing the month, up from 8%, which is the European average.

This percentage is the highest in Europe and is very different from other states. Second place behind us is Greece, where 21% of respondents claim they cannot postpone the end of the month.

In other countries of the region, the situation is more moderate, but again above the average of Western Europe. In the region, after Albania, the highest level of difficulties for coping with expenditures are registered in Kosovo, with 18%. Bosnia and Herzegovina is also represented at a relatively high level of 13%.

In other Balkan countries, the indicator is lower. Serbia and Northern Macedonia report from 9%, Croatia 8%, while Montenegro has the lowest level in the region, by 7%.

While northern Macedonia and Montenegro are cited in the report as states that have marked significant improvement over the past decade, in Albania the percentage of workers who have difficulty closing the month remains at record levels.

Those surveyed are required to assess how easy it is for their family to afford monthly expenses, taking into account total monthly income from different sources.

The assessment is done on a six-level scale, from “very easily” to “with many difficulties” Overall, 8% of EU respondents reported that in 2024 it was difficult or very difficult to afford expenses. The distinctions between genders were negligible.

The report notes that the survey shows the marked difference among countries. The percentage of employees who have difficulty coping with monthly spending varies significantly, from only 1% in Poland to 39% in Albania, as presented on the map.

European

The data also points to a clear geographical divide: Scandinavian countries report steadily low levels of financial hardship, while in some countries in Eastern and South Europe the weight of workers facing economic hardship is noticeably higher.

Since 2010, which coincided with the economic crisis, the percentage of employees facing difficulties in coping with expenditures has dropped significantly.

In 2010, about 17% of employees claimed that living economically was difficult or very difficult. In 2024, this percentage dropped to only 8%.

At the same time, the weight of those who claimed to succeed easily or easily rose from 30% to 40%.

The biggest improvements have been observed in several Eastern European countries, such as Bulgaria, Hungary and Latvia, where the percentage of hard economic workers dropped by over 30 percentage points. Significant declines, with over 20 percentage points, were recorded in Croatia, Lithuania, Montenegro, northern Macedonia and Romania as well.

No country reported statistically significant increases in difficulties in coping with expenses.

There is a strong link between the characteristics of employees' families and the level of their financial vulnerability, in line with the findings of other studies, the report notes. Single parents are disproportionally affected by financial difficulties: 43% of them say they have difficulty coping.

Single mothers are especially vulnerable, with 46% reporting financial difficulties.

Workers living in families with children tend to face greater financial challenges, with 31% declaring difficulties to cope with spending. They list families with one single person at the age of work, where 28% report economic difficulties.

The data also shows that financial vulnerability varies according to employment status and the profession.

Workers with contracts in the set term, with 36%, economically dependent self-employees, 40%, as well as those with no contract or other contract forms, with 42%, report the highest percentages of difficulties in handling the expenses.

Employees with lower qualifications face greater difficulties. At least one level of difficulty in coping with expenditures is reported by 49% of primary profession workers, 47% of skilled agricultural workers, 37% of employees in services and sales, as well as 35% of plant and machine operators.

By contrast, employees in highly qualified professions, such as managers, technicians and professionals, report relatively low levels of financial hardship, at below 20%.

The report stresses that these findings confirm already recognised trends and underline the need for support policies to navigate towards specific groups, including single parents and low-wage employees, who are often under enormous financial pressure.

The European Labour Conditions Survey 2024, released in April this year, offers a full picture of the quality of work in Europe, analyzing the characteristics of the workforce, jobs, work quality and quality of life at work.

The poll is an important instrument for policymakers, as it highlights the role of quality of work in achieving a sustainable and comprehensive growth in Europe.

Survey findings are based on 36,644 face - to - face interviews conducted in 35 countries. Each interview lasted about 45 minutes, offering a unique mirror on the state of labour in Europe.

This survey has been conducted steadily since 1990, providing a comparable set of working conditions in Europe at five-year intervals.