Labour market situation as of 31 October 2024

As of 31 October 2024, 323 143 people were registered as unemployed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  Compared to a month earlier, the number of the unemployed decreased by 1 494 or 0.46%.  Of the total number of job seekers, 191 381 or 59.22% were women.  Compared to the same period a year earlier, the unemployment level in BiH decreased by 22 908 or 6.62%. 

 

Unemployment level fell by 1 208 (0.47%) in the FBiH, by 328 (0.59%) in RS, and by 33 persons (0.28%) in the BD BiH.

 

The structure of job seekers as of 31 October 2024 is as follows:

Unskilled workers: 94 514 or 29.25%, comprising 37 680 (28.60%) men and 56 834 (29.70%) women

Semi-skilled workers/low educational background: 4 526 or 1.40%, comprising 2 123(1.61%) men and 2 403 (1.26%) women

Skilled workers: 100 911 or 31.23%, comprising 51 307 (38.94%) men and 49 604 (25.92%) women

Highly skilled workers: 729 or 0.23%, comprising 564 (0.43%) men and 165 (0.09%) women

Secondary school qualifications: 91 943 or 28.45%, comprising 31 134 (23.63%) men and 60 809 (31.77%) women

Two-year post-secondary education: 4 958 or 1.53%, comprising 1 670 (1.27%) men and 3 288 (1.72%) women

University degree: 25 562 or 7.91%, comprising 7 284 (5.53%) men and 18 278 (9.55%) women

 

Within the total number of registered unemployed people, 13 245 were newly added to the register in October 2024, of whom 7 027 were women.  The total number of people who were deregistered amounted to 14 888, of whom 7 749 were women.  Of the total number of people who were deregistered, 8 841 or 59.38% were placed in jobs, of whom 4 845 or 54.80% were women.  

 

In October 2024, employers reported 3 591 new vacancies to public employment services in BiH, of which 980 were for women, while the registered number of people whose employment was terminated during the reported period amounted to 9 207.  The registered number of women whose employment was terminated during the reporting period was 4 764 or 51.74%.

 

According to the BiH Agency for Statistics, the number of people in paid work in BiH amounted to 855 182 in September 2024, of whom 388 979 were women.  Compared to August 2024, the total number of people in work, as well as the number of women in paid work increased, by respective 0.9% and 1.5%.

According to the results of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for the third quarter of 2024, the labour force in BiH (economically active population) comprised 1 427 000 people and the number of inactive people amounted to 1 449 000. 

The labour force included 1 254 000 people in employment and 173 000 unemployed people. The LFS unemployment rate was substantially lower than the administrative rate and it stood at 12.2% for the third quarter of 2024 at the level of BiH.

The number of people in work in the third quarter of 2024 increased by 2.5% compared to the second quarter, while the number of the unemployed decreased by 7.5%.

The unemployment rate in BiH stood at 12.2% in the third quarter of 2024 and it was lower compared to the second quarter of 2024 (13.3%) by 1.1 percentage points.  The LFS employment rate in the third quarter of 2024 stood at 43.6% and it increased by 1.1 percentage points compared to the second quarter of 2024 (42.5%).

The youth unemployment rate (aged 15-24) in BiH stood at 31.4% in the third quarter of 2024 and compared to the second quarter (30.4%) it increased by 1.0 percentage point.