Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic  which has gripped the Republic of Kosovo (mid-March 2020), the results of the Labour Force Survey for Q3 2020 were not published according to the planned date in the statistical calendar of publications for 2020 , as KAS has stopped the collection of the data in the field on 16 March 2020. Therefore, the collection of data in the field for Q3 2020 was done after the facilitation of some measures by the Government of Kosovo, together with data collection for Q2 2020. Thus, in 06 July 2020, KAS has resumed collection of the data in the field to complete the data for Q2 and Q3 2020 and has continued until 04 October 2020.

Since the survey is according to the rotation of the panel sampling, the most representative data will be available in the final report for 2020.

According to the results of this publication, two thirds (2/3) of the population in Kosovo are working age population. The working age population includes age 15-64 years old. Within the working age population, the rate of participation in the labour force is 40.0%.

The employment rate in the Labour Force Survey in the third quarter of 2020 is 30.1%.

The highest employment is for males 46.2%, while employment for females is 14.4%.

Females are employed mainly in the sectors of education, trade and health care, with 49.7%, while males are mainly employed in the sectors of construction, trade and production with 46.5%.

The leading economic sectors with employment continue to be: trade with 17.2%; construction by 13.3%; production by 11.3%; and education by 9.1%. While other sectors participate with a lower percentage in employment.

Regarding employees with working contracts, it turns out that 42.1% of employees have a permanent contract in their main job, while 57.9% have a temporary contract.

According to LFS results, in Q3 2020 the unemployment rate is 24.6%.

Unemployment is most pronounced among females with 33.1%, compared to males, 21.5%. The most significant unemployment rate is in the age group 15-24 years old with 46.9%.

According to LFS results, in Q3 2020, inactive labour force is quite high at 60.0%, with a particular focus on females at 78.5%, compared to males at 41.1%.

For the implementation of LFS in Q3 2020, the methodology and standards applied by KAS are harmonized with the recommendations of Eurostat.