Azemi: Over 100,000 private sector workers left Kosovo since 2021

Jusuf Azemi, the President of the Independent Trade Union of the Private Sector of Kosovo, stated that private companies are facing a significant shortage of skilled workers and expressed concern that over 100,000 workers had left Kosovo since 2021, as reported by Reporteri.

According to him, although owners do not want to comment on this issue, labor shortage is present in every sector, and there are cases where workers are doing jobs for which they are not qualified.

"Based on our information, which could be official, in 2021 and 2022, more than 100,000 private sector workers have left Kosovo, and what is more serious is that these workers are mostly qualified workers whose shortage causes extremely significant losses, mostly for private companies. We are in the field every day, and every company owner has their own concerns because they lack relevant staff," Azemi said for Ekonomia Online.

He warns that qualified workers cannot be replaced by unqualified workers, and many people who get jobs lack practice.

Technical workers who provide services in central institutions are paid up to 180 euros, he said.

"There is a significant increase, for example, with the exception of those workers who provide services for state institutions, because many private companies provide services for state institutions, contracts are signed, and only in these companies, there is no movement because the Government of Kosovo still retains private sector workers with a salary of 170 euros, and here we have technical workers who, I repeat, provide services in the office of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance, who are responsible for increasing salaries. These workers receive a salary of 180 euros, while other services have an increase, but enough to meet normal living conditions," Azemi stated.

Regarding the Minimum Wage Law, he says that the Kosovo Government has no willingness to implement this law.

He claims that the unions are against the 264 euro salary, but they have never been asked about this issue.