The Kosovo Agency of Statistics (KAS) has published the results of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) in 2018.

The survey was extended to 1 047 enumeration areas across the country, with 3 570 households selected randomly by the Households and Housing Census 2011. Households selected for the survey, besides having a survey, they also had three re-surveys by reference period.

This publication contains detailed data on employment and unemployment by age, gender, employment status, economic activity, occupation and other issues related to the labour 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 age 15-64 years old.

Within the working age population, the rate of participation in the workforce is 40.9%.

The rate of employment in the Labor Force Survey in 2018 is 28.8%.

The highest employment rate is to males (45.3%), while female employment is 12.3%. Female are employed mainly in the sectors of education, trade and health care, by 52.9%, while males are mainly employed in the sectors of trade, construction and manufacturing, by 43.0%.

Economic sectors that continue to employ continue to be: trade by 17.0%; construction by 11.9%; education by 11.3%; and manufacturing by 10.3%. Meanwhile, other sectors participate with the lowest percentage in employment.

Regarding contracted employees, it turns out that 25.5% of employed persons have permanent contracts in their main job, while 74.5% have a temporary contract.

According to the results of LFS in 2018, the unemployment rate is 29.6%.

The most pronounced unemployment is to females by 33.4%, compared with males, by 28.5%. The most pronounced unemployment rate is in the age group 15-24 years old by 55.4%.

According to the results of the LFS in 2018, the inactive workforce is quite high at 59.1%, with a particular focus on females by 81.6%, compared to males by 36.7%.

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