“Young people work, but are not valued” - ALTAX Analysis: Seasonal jobs and low wages
The Albanian economy is creating more jobs than a decade ago, but many of them remain precarious, seasonal, and with wages that do not keep pace with the cost of living.
According to INSTAT data, overall unemployment has dropped to around 8.1-8.3%, while unemployment among young people aged 15-29 remains around 15%, the lowest level of the last decade, but much higher than the national average.
But according to the analysis carried out by ALTAX, and although the panorama is positive on the surface, young people today face a market that requires experience from the outset, digital skills, all foreign and high professional flexibility. For many young people, entering the job market has become a prolonged transition process between internships, temporary contracts and jobs with high rotation.
According to the analysis, this situation creates a new social phenomenon, where young people are statistically employed but economically remain insecure. The increase in the cost of living in major cities, especially in Tirana, has meant that many young people, even though they work, are unable to save, buy a home or create long-term stability.
According to the analysis, the youth employment rate is around 46%, while almost half of this age group remains outside the active labor market, mainly due to education and lack of real opportunities.
The analysis concludes that one of the biggest weaknesses of the Albanian economy remains the link between education and the labor market. This is because education continues to produce more diplomas than practical skills.
On the other hand, informality is considered the phenomenon that most affects young people. According to the analysis, even though the formalization of the economy has increased, informal work remains very widespread among young people. Tourism, trade, services and construction continue to have insecure contracts, seasonal employment and outside insurance schemes, creating a lack of long-term stability.
On the other hand, the low salaries offered to young people at the start of their careers, not covering living costs, are considered a push for this category towards emigration. Emigration continues to remain the most rational choice for many young people not only for higher salaries, but for more security, meritocracy and development opportunities.
The analysis concludes that to retain the young workforce in Albania, as an added value for the economy and the labor market, a series of measures related to education, economic security, informality, housing, and ultimately restoring trust through meritocracy, functional institutions, and economic security are needed.
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