Muca: In Albania, demand for employees without high qualifications is increasing

Employment expert and lecturer at the “Marin Barleti” University in Tirana, Erion Muca, says that this May 1st, Albania is facing a shortage of workers compared to the previous year, along with increased efforts by entrepreneurs to secure labor from abroad. He also notes that there is a greater demand for physical labor than for mental work.

“This May 1st, the local and regional labor market has shrunk both in terms of the number of employed individuals and in terms of the demands and needs of companies. Some entrepreneurs have turned to foreign markets to find employees. There is a growing demand in Albania for workers without high qualifications, for simple jobs. This has led to difficulties for educated individuals with high levels of qualification, creating concern about their salary levels. Today in Albania, a baker earns more than an engineer, and that discrepancy causes dissatisfaction among highly qualified professionals,” Muca told Kosovo Online.

The most threatened and least in-demand professions, he points out, are those involving physical processes, such as customer service, citing retail as an example, where not only small retail businesses are at risk, but also employees working in such roles in larger companies.

“This is because online ordering and sales platforms – online commerce platforms – have developed very rapidly, leading to the bankruptcy of small businesses of this kind and layoffs of employees in this sector. This also impacts professions connected to this type of business, such as accountants who manage the financial records of these companies,” he explained.

Muca notes that there is increasing interest in Albania for unskilled workers in the manufacturing, construction, and tourism industries, and that the market requires more labor than intelligence.

“In Albania, there is greater demand for physical rather than mental work. This also aligns with what are considered national priorities, such as tourism or infrastructure construction and development,” our interlocutor emphasized.

Regarding entrepreneurs' efforts to secure labor from abroad, he says they see this as an easier alternative, rather than improving or standardizing internal processes within companies, creating motivation programs for internal employees, or advancing them.

“Entrepreneurs in Albania find it easier to turn to foreign markets than to look inward, to understand that the problem lies in how they organize work and treat employees. Unlike last May 1st, there is increased interest in projects or programs aimed at the return of emigrants to Albania, so they can invest in their homeland. There are initiatives to increase interest among Albanians who have lived abroad for years to invest or seek employment in Albania, in line with their professions and based on the experience they have from the countries they have lived in,” Muca said.

As in previous years, he adds, there are no protests in Albania on Labor Day, and workers’ issues are lost in institutional chains and seemingly endless court proceedings. He says that the problem lies in the fact that trade unions either do not exist or lack proper dedication.