About the ILO in the Republic of North Macedonia

The Covid-19 crisis exposed labour market challenges and opportunities

Two years of the Covid -19 pandemic hit the Macedonian labour market after a decade of continuous improvements. While the economy recovered faster than expected from the Covid-19 pandemic (GDP growth rate in 2020: -4,5 percent, in 2021: +4 percent, est.), the much-needed recovery of labour markets is lagging. Working-hour losses in North Macedonia have generally been higher than in other Western Balkan economies. According to Labour Force Survey data, the working-hour losses displayed high volatility during the pandemic and increased from 8.3 per cent in Q1-2020 to 23.8 percent in Q2-2020 due to strict containment measures. Since the second half of 2020, data show a recovery of working hours, but as per mid 2021 working hours are still lower than in pre-pandemic times (-5.2 percent in Q2-2021 compared to Q2-2019).    Continue reading