Zivkovska: IT jobs in high demand in North Macedonia, but waiters, chefs, and managers also sought

North Macedonia continues to experience a downward trend in unemployment this year, but there is still a significant shortage of qualified workers across many sectors. The highest demand is in the IT industry, but there is also a strong need for waiters, chefs, and managers, said Biljana Zivkovska from the Employment Agency of North Macedonia in a statement to Kosovo Online.

"The trend of declining unemployment in Macedonia is continuing this year. In the first quarter, the unemployment rate stood at 11.7%, which is a 1.2 percentage point drop compared to the first quarter of 2024. At the same time, we’ve observed an increase in the employment rate, which reached 46.3% in Q1 2025, up 0.9% compared to the same period last year," said Zivkovska.

The latest European Commission report on the Western Balkans and Turkey notes that the region is experiencing a "historically low level" of unemployment.

According to data from the Employment Agency, as of June, 97,157 people were registered as unemployed in North Macedonia.

Zivkovska explained that the main characteristic of the country's labor market is the "mismatch between labor supply and demand."

"There are still many sectors where qualified workers cannot be found for open positions because potential candidates lack the qualifications and skills required for those roles," she said.

On the other hand, the greatest demand is for professionals in the IT sector.

"This sector is especially attractive to young people seeking jobs in IT. And it's no coincidence—working conditions in IT companies are much more favorable. Career advancement opportunities are significant, salaries are attractive, and these companies invest in additional training and certifications for employees, which further boosts their competitiveness in the job market," said Zivkovska.

Among the most sought-after professions in North Macedonia are also roles in the electrical and mechanical engineering sectors.

"There is equally strong demand in construction and for architects. Hospitality and tourism are also in demand—waiters, chefs, managers," noted the Head of Public Relations, Communications, and International Cooperation at the Employment Agency of the Republic of North Macedonia.

According to the agency's records, the majority of those struggling to find employment are individuals with only a primary education or less.

"Sixty percent of registered unemployed people fall into this category. These individuals usually lack any professional qualifications, making it difficult to place them in the labor market," Zivkovska said.

This category also includes workers over the age of 55, even though many have practical work experience and skills.

At the same time, even young university graduates face challenges in employment, which the agency is working to address.

"Highly educated young people struggle to find their place in certain segments of the labor market, as employers increasingly look for practical knowledge and skills that recent graduates often lack," she pointed out.

Workers in North Macedonia are becoming increasingly aware that retraining is the best path to new employment.

Zivkovska emphasized that this trend is most visible among young people.

“One of the positive trends is the growing awareness that people need to improve their skills, especially in IT and digital skills. Many young people, but not only them, are showing interest in retraining for IT, digital marketing, graphic design, and similar fields. There are many initiatives for this—both private and state-supported,” she said.

She added that a large number of workers understand that traditional professions are being replaced by automation and new technologies, and they are trying to keep up with that trend.

However, the biggest obstacles are low motivation among the unemployed and the high cost of certain training programs, especially in the IT sector. This is compounded by the fact that retraining often requires changing one’s environment.

A key issue, she noted, is the lack of a guarantee that retraining will actually lead to new employment.

In recent years, the most in-demand jobs in North Macedonia have been related to IT technologies. Employers are seeking programmers, software engineers, data engineers, cybersecurity engineers, AI specialists, and more.

However, there is also strong demand for doctors, pharmacists, nurses, lab technicians, civil engineers, and architects.

“There’s a shortage of technical personnel such as electrical and mechanical technicians. In education, there’s a lack of teachers, especially in physics, mathematics, languages, and computer science. There is also rising demand for professionals in renewable energy and environmental protection. Efforts are being made to make these careers more attractive,” Zivkovska stressed.

On the other hand, demand for economists and lawyers is decreasing.

“There is still some demand for them, but due to heavy competition, employers now expect additional skills—not just a law or economics degree, but also job-specific competencies,” Zivkovska explained.

North Macedonia is not immune to "seasonal migration," with workers commonly going to Croatia during the summer.

“What concerns us more is the permanent migration of highly educated professionals who are leaving for countries like Italy, Germany, and Austria. We are taking initiatives—at least for our students studying abroad—to create conditions for them to transfer their knowledge and apply it practically back home,” Zivkovska concluded.