The Kosovo Agency of Statistics (KAS) has published the results of the Labor Force Survey (LFS) for the first quarter of 2018 (Q1 2018)

The survey has been extended to 598 enumeration areas throughout the country, where 3 531 households were surveyed selected according to the random method from the Population and Housing Census of 2011. Households selected for survey, besides having a survey, they also had three re-surveys by reference period.

This publication contains detailed information on employment and unemployment by age, gender, employment status, economic activity, occupation and other similar issues related to the labor market.

According to the results of this publication, two-thirds of the population in Kosovo is a working age population. The working age population includes the ages of 15-64 years.

Within the working age population, the participation rate in the workforce is 39.2%.

The employment rate in the Labor Force Survey (LFS) for the first quarter of 2018 (Q1 2018) is 28.8%.

Higher employment is to males (45.5%), while female employment is 11.8%. Females are mainly employed in the education, trade and health sector with 51.2%. Whereas males are mainly employed in the trade, construction and manufacturing sector with 42.4%.

Economic sectors that continue with employment continue to be: trade with 17.2%; construction with 11.7%; education with 11.5%, and manufacturing with 10.1%. While, other sectors participate with lower percentage in the employment

Concerning contracted employees, it turns out that 18.9% of employed persons have permanent contracts in their main job, while 81.1% have a temporary contract.

According to the LFS results, in Q1 2018 the unemployment rate is 26.5%.

The most pronounced unemployment is among females with 28.7%, compared with males, 25.9%. The most pronounced unemployment rate is in the age group of 15-24 years old with 54.0%.

According to LFS results, in Q1 2018, inactive labour force is quite high at 60.8%, with a focus on females at 83.4% compared to males, 38.6%.

For the implementation of LFS, Q1 2018, the methodology and standards applied by KAS are harmonized with the recommendations of Eurostat.