Bosnia’s unemployment continues to fall as labour market recovery gains pace

At the end of May, 305,335 people were registered with employment offices across the country, down by 4,488 from April, representing a monthly decrease of 1.45%.

Compared with May last year, the number of unemployed fell by 10,159 people, or 3.22%. The decline was recorded across all parts of the country, with the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina registering 3,804 fewer unemployed people, Republika Srpska reporting a decrease of 559, and Brcko District recording a reduction of 125.

Despite the overall improvement, women continue to account for the majority of job seekers. Of the total number of registered unemployed, 182,213 are women, representing nearly 60% of all people without work.

The largest share of unemployed people consists of those with secondary vocational education and skilled workers. Employment office records include 95,759 skilled workers, 89,012 unskilled workers and 87,220 people with secondary school qualifications. A further 24,350 university graduates are also seeking employment.

During May, employment offices registered 8,291 new job seekers, while 12,817 people were removed from unemployment registers. Of those removed, 7,362 secured employment, accounting for 57.4% of all deregistrations.

Employers reported 3,404 new job vacancies during the month, reflecting continued demand for workers. At the same time, 6,650 people were recorded as having lost their jobs.

According to the Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the country had 851,918 people in employment in April, including 391,561 women. Total employment increased by 0.2% compared with March, indicating continued growth in the labour market.