North Macedonia Jobless Rate Falls to 11.5% in Q3

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%).

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%.

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.