Although she was the best student of her generation at the Banja Luka Philology University, Galina-Marija Vukajlovic neer found a job. Instead, she is selling books on the street in Banja Luka’s centre while dreaming of an air-conditioned room and reading ‘Cathedral of the Sea’, by Ildefonso Falcones.

“I am unemployed since I finished university, that was in October 2017. I always do some work, I get by, I taught courses in Modrica for three months, now I am working here for some 20 days, I also give private Russian lessons, translate some texts, but all of that only comes by from time to time,” she said.

Vukajlovic studied Serbian and Russian language and literature. Although she said she never expected to find a job in her field easily but she is still disappointed, as she applied for jobs so many times in vain.

“When I enrolled in university I didn’t count on there being a lot of jobs in schools, but I hoped there would be some in some companies, organisations, as more and more Russian companies are coming here, so I still hope that there could be something,” she said.

According to data from the state employment agency, there were 475,000 unemployed persons registered in the country in May.

The total population of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including those who are not capable to work, is 3,517 million.