All official measurements show a deterioration in youth employment opportunities. Data from the Labor Force Survey reported that unemployment among the 15-29 age group increased by 16% annually in the second quarter of the year, while administrative data showed that 16,537 young people were registered as unemployed with employment offices, an annual increase of 4.3%.
After a temporary improvement in the first quarter of 2025, registered youth unemployment has followed an upward trajectory (see graph below). In the following three quarters, the number has gradually increased, reaching over 16.5 thousand people in the second quarter of this year. The increase in registered youth unemployment is partly related to the difficulties of this age group in integrating into the labor market.
Although the economy has created new jobs, some of them are concentrated in sectors where more employees with experience or specific skills are required, while many young people face a lack of professional experience and qualifications adapted to business requirements.
In recent years, a significant number of young people have chosen to seek employment opportunities abroad, which has reduced the job offer in some sectors, but at the same time has highlighted the difficulties of those who remain in the domestic market in finding stable work.
Also, some young people spend longer periods looking for work after completing their education. This is related to the more difficult transition from education to employment, especially for those without previous experience.
Data from the Labor Force Survey showed that in the second quarter of 2026 there were 36.7 thousand unemployed people aged 15-29, up from 31.6 thousand in the same period of 2025, while data from administrative sources show that half of them are registered as unemployed, meaning they want to work but cannot find work.
The worsening job market for young people comes at a time when businesses consider the lack of labor as the biggest obstacle to doing business. On the other hand, older age groups are integrating faster, including retirees.
In the second quarter of 2026, about 145 thousand pensioners were working, with an annual increase of 10.4%. They accounted for 13 percent of the total employed persons. In the same period, the number of young people employed fell to 170.3 thousand people, or 4% less. / B.Hoxha
