More than a third of the population out of work
The 15-34 age group makes up over 55% of Kosovo's population. In 2015, 36’000 young people entered the labour force but only 17’323 new jobs were created. This has resulted in overall unemployment of 32.9%, with the rate considerably higher for women and minorities. Among the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian (RAE) communities, unemployment is as high as 80%.
There are two underlying reasons for high unemployment. The first is a disconnection between educational institutions and industry: the vocational education and training available does not adequately match the labour market's needs. Secondly, even where young people have the required skills, employers do not necessarily come in contact with them. It is a discouraging situation for young job seekers, who see no career prospects in Kosovo. The resultant frustration can be an incentive to emigrate.
Phase 1 of SDC's project has produced the following results:
2’200 jobs have been created through partnerships with the private sector;
9’400 people have found work thanks to the services matching supply (job seekers) with demand (employers);
6’500 young people have benefited from better training given by public and private educational institutions.