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Labour · Europe & Central Asia · Upper-middle income

North Macedonia: the labour market

Labour force is 789,369 (2025), 151st of 187 in the world and 43rd of 49 in Europe & Central Asia. Participation rate is 51.9% (2025), 155th of 187 in the world and 44th of 49 in Europe & Central Asia. Women's participation is 42.7% (2025), 141st of 187 in the world and 42nd of 49 in Europe & Central Asia.

Labour force789,3692025 · world 151/187 · region 43/49Participation rate51.9%2025 · world 155/187 · region 44/49Women's participation42.7%2025 · world 141/187 · region 42/49Employment rate45.6%2025 · world 159/187 · region 46/49
Labour force
North Macedonia
780,000800,000820,000840,000860,000880,0001995200020052010201520202025North Macedonia789,369
Participation rate
North MacedoniaEurope & Central AsiaUpper-middle incomeWorld
50%55%60%65%70%75%1995200020052010201520202025North Macedonia51.9%Europe & Central AsiaUpper-middle incomeWorld
13 indicators

Labour: North Macedonia in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Europe & Central Asia; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
Labour forceLabour force, total789,3692025151/18743/49818,451834,993800,704−6.7%since 2015429m1.5bn3.7bn
Participation rateLabour force participation, % of 15+51.9%2025155/18744/4952.7%53.2%52.1%−2.1 ppsince 201558.2%62.7%61.0%
Women's participationFemale labour force participation, % of women 15+42.7%2025141/18742/4940.9%40.7%41.9%+0.4 ppsince 201551.1%53.4%48.9%
Employment rateEmployment to population ratio, 15+ (ILO)45.6%2025159/18746/4935.8%35.6%43.5%+5.8 ppsince 201555.1%59.5%58.1%
UnemploymentUnemployment, % of labour force (ILO)12.3%202524/1873/4932.2%33.1%16.6%−14.1 ppsince 20155.4%5.2%4.8%
Female unemploymentFemale unemployment, % of female labour force (ILO)11.1%202544/1878/4934.8%33.6%16.1%−14.2 ppsince 20155.7%5.1%4.9%
Youth unemploymentYouth unemployment, ages 15–24 (ILO)28.8%202522/1872/4958.3%55.2%35.6%−18.7 ppsince 201514.0%15.6%13.4%
Youth NEET rateYouth not in education, employment or training, %19.5%202575/1707/46·26.4%19.8%−5.4 ppsince 201511.4%17.3%—
Wage workersWage and salaried workers, % of total employment83.4%202549/18729/4974.2%72.3%82.4%+9.5 ppsince 201583.3%61.3%53.6%
Vulnerable employmentVulnerable employment, % of total employment (ILO)12.3%2025139/18722/4921.6%22.1%13.8%−9.4 ppsince 201512.9%34.8%42.4%
Jobs in agricultureEmployment in agriculture, % of total employment8.5%2025116/18718/4923.4%18.1%11.5%−9.3 ppsince 20156.7%19.8%25.8%
Jobs in industryEmployment in industry, % of total employment30.6%202517/1876/4934.0%29.3%31.0%+0.1 ppsince 201523.7%27.7%23.7%
Jobs in servicesEmployment in services, % of total employment60.9%202590/18734/4942.6%52.5%57.5%+9.2 ppsince 201569.7%52.4%50.6%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

No rated indicator got worse over the decade.

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

North Macedonia and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with North Macedonia. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorNorth MacedoniaGreeceSerbiaBulgariaAlbaniaKosovo
Labour force789,36920254.7m20253.3m20253.1m20251.3m2025—
Participation rate51.9%202552.0%202559.1%202556.1%202564.3%2025—
Women's participation42.7%202544.7%202552.6%202550.4%202558.6%2025—
Employment rate45.6%202547.5%202554.9%202554.1%202557.2%2025—
Unemployment12.3%20258.5%20257.1%20253.5%202510.9%2025—
Female unemployment11.1%202511.3%20257.5%20253.3%202511.2%2025—
Youth unemployment28.8%202521.4%202520.9%202510.2%202525.6%2025—
Youth NEET rate19.5%202510.4%202512.7%202511.5%202521.0%202430.0%2024
Wage workers83.4%202569.5%202573.0%202588.2%202549.7%2025—
Greece: labourSerbia: labourBulgaria: labourAlbania: labour
Labour in Europe & Central Asiaall 58 economies rankedLabour: upper-middle-income countries59 economies rankedLabour: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesNorth Macedonia: all key statisticscountry profile