Unemployment in Bosnia rises slightly in July 2024, youth unemployment declines

Unemployment fell in Republika Srpska by 338 people (0.6%) and in Brčko District by 69 people (0.58%), while it increased in the Federation of BiH by 3,513 people (1.36%).

Breakdown of those seeking employment as of July 31, 2024:

• Unskilled workers (NKV): 95,652 (29.10%)


• Semi-skilled workers (PKV-NSS): 4,660 (1.42%)


• Skilled workers (KV): 102,242 (31.11%)


• Highly skilled workers (VKV): 742 (0.23%)


• Secondary school graduates (SSS): 92,536 (28.15%)


• College graduates (VŠS): 5,243 (1.60%)


• University graduates (VSS): 27,599 (8.40%)

In July 2024, there were 18,034 new job seekers, of which 9,853 were women. The number of people removed from employment records was 15,025, with 6,366 gaining employment, 52.59% of whom were women.

In the same month, employers reported 4,127 job vacancies, and 9,521 people, including 5,636 women, lost their jobs.

Employment and Unemployment Data (May & June 2024):

The number of employed persons in BiH was 854,865 in June 2024, with 388,832 women. There was no change from May. The unemployment rate was 27.6%, down by 0.1 percentage points from April 2024.

Labor Force Survey – First Quarter of 2024:

BiH's labor force totaled 1,393,000 people, with 1,205,000 employed and 187,000 unemployed. The unemployment rate was 13.5%, lower than the registered rate.

The youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) for the first quarter of 2024 was 27.4%, a decrease of 1.5 percentage points compared to the fourth quarter of 2023.