Labour market overview, situation as of 31 December 2020



The number of unemployed people registered with public employment services in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 31 December 2020 was 413 627. As compared to a month earlier, this number was higher by 373 persons or 0.09%. Out of the total number of job seekers, 235 617 or 56.96% were women. In comparison to the same period of the year earlier, unemployment in BiH was higher by 11 781 persons or 2.93%.

Unemployment decreased in Republika Srpska by 71 persons (0.09%), but increased in Federation of BiH by 266 persons (0.08%) and in the Brčko District of BiH by 178 persons (2.53%)

Job seekers by qualification levels, situation as of 31 December 2020:

110 274 unskilled workers or 26.66%, of whom 64 363 (27.32%) women;

6 908 semi-skilled workers – lower educational background or 1.67%, of whom 3 505 (1.49%) women;

131 011 skilled workers or 31.67%, of whom 60 951 (25.87%) women;

1 510 highly skilled workers or 0.37%, of whom 277 (0.12%) women;

119 624 with secondary education or 28.92%, of whom 75 738 (32.14%) women;

7 026 with two-year post-secondary education or 1.70%, of whom 4 527 (1.92%) women;

37 274 with university degree or 9.01%, of whom 26 256 (11.14%) women.

A total of 12 751 people were deregistered from public employment services in December, of whom 6 256 were women. Out of this number, there were 8 269 flows into employment, of which 4 132 were women. 

At the same time employment terminated for 5 035 people, of whom 2 413 were women.  In the same period, employers reported 2 733 vacancies. 

According to BiH Agency for Statistics, the number of people in employment in BiH in November 2020 stood at 814 715, of whom 350 918 were women.  In comparison to October 2020, the number of people in employment increased by 0.2% and the number of employed women increased by 0.2%.

Registered unemployment rate for November 2020 was 33.6% and was 0.2 percentage point lower than in October 2020.