North Macedonia’s unemployment rate fell to 11.3% in the first quarter of 2026, its lowest level since at least 1993, compared with 11.4% in the previous period. The number of unemployed declined by 1% to 90,499, of whom 62.4% were men and 37.6% women. Meanwhile, the number of employed persons edged down by 0.3% to 707,385, with men accounting for 57.9% and women for 42.1%. The employment rate stood at 46.5%. Informal employment rose to 94,197, with the largest share concentrated in agriculture, forestry and fisheries (43.6%), followed by construction (17.5%). source: State Statistical Office of the Republic of Macedonia

Unemployment Rate in Macedonia decreased to 11.30 percent in the first quarter of 2026 from 11.40 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025. Unemployment Rate in Macedonia averaged 25.99 percent from 1993 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 38.70 percent in the first quarter of 2005 and a record low of 11.30 percent in the first quarter of 2026. This page provides - Macedonia Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. North Macedonia Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on May of 2026.

Unemployment Rate in Macedonia decreased to 11.30 percent in the first quarter of 2026 from 11.40 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025. Unemployment Rate in Macedonia is expected to be 11.20 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the North Macedonia Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 10.50 percent in 2027 and 10.00 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-02-27 10:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Q4 11.4% 11.5% 11.4%
2026-05-29 10:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Q1 11.3% 11.4% 11.3%
2026-08-26 10:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Q2 11.3% 11.2%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Employed Persons 707385.00 709523.00 Mar 2026
Employment Rate 46.50 46.80 percent Mar 2026
Job Vacancies 10615.00 10033.00 Dec 2025
Labor Force Participation Rate 52.50 52.80 percent Mar 2026
Long Term Unemployment Rate 7.60 8.60 percent Dec 2025
Unemployed Persons 90499.00 91388.00 Mar 2026
Unemployment Rate 11.30 11.40 percent Mar 2026
Wages 72818.00 69371.00 MKD/Month Mar 2026
Wages in Manufacturing 64964.00 60943.00 MKD/Month Mar 2026


North Macedonia Unemployment Rate
In Macedonia, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
11.30 11.40 38.70 11.30 1993 - 2026 percent Quarterly

News Stream
Macedonia Unemployment Rate Continues to Fall
North Macedonia’s unemployment rate fell to 11.3% in the first quarter of 2026, its lowest level since at least 1993, compared with 11.4% in the previous period. The number of unemployed declined by 1% to 90,499, of whom 62.4% were men and 37.6% women. Meanwhile, the number of employed persons edged down by 0.3% to 707,385, with men accounting for 57.9% and women for 42.1%. The employment rate stood at 46.5%. Informal employment rose to 94,197, with the largest share concentrated in agriculture, forestry and fisheries (43.6%), followed by construction (17.5%).
2026-05-29
North Macedonia Jobless Rate Drops to 11.4% in Q4
The unemployment rate in North Macedonia fell to 11.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025 from 11.9% in the same period last year. The number of unemployed persons decreased by 0.4% year-on-year to 91.4 thousand, with men accounting for 57.9% and women 42.1% of the total unemployed. Meanwhile, employment increased to 46.8% from 46.2%, with the number of employed individuals rising by almost 9 thousand to 709.5 thousand. The labor force participation rate edged up to 52.8% from 52.5% in the previous year. In the third quarter of 2025, the jobless rate was 11.5%.
2026-02-27
North Macedonia Jobless Rate Falls to 11.5% in Q3
The unemployment rate in North Macedonia dropped to 11.5% in the third quarter of 2025 from 12.3% in the corresponding period of the previous year. The number of unemployed persons decreased by 6.7% year-on-year to 91.8 thousand. Meanwhile, employment went up to 46.5% from 46.1%, with the number of employed individuals rising by 6.8 thousand to 705.2 thousand. The labor force participation rate ticked down to 52.5% from 52.6% a year ago. The jobless rate was unchanged from 11.5% in the second quarter of 2025.
2025-12-05