
Albania is facing a labor crisis. But the projections are even more troubling for years to come.
High immigration trends are expected to create worrying labor shortages in all sectors of the economy for all types of occupations by 2030, says a recent study by the European Training Foundation.
The study notes that the countries of the Western Balkans, but especially Albania, will face a labor market crisis, which is being created specifically by the high emigration of young people.
The study noted that, within the 2020–2030 projection period, the baseline scenario results show that Albania, Northern Macedonia and Serbia will face labor shortages for all four skill groups (lower, secondary) , senior and professions).
Other INSTAT data showed that net emigration (the difference between refugees and returnees) was minus 43 thousand people by 2021.
The study of the Regional Training Center shows that the brain drain has been particularly dramatic for Albania, where 40% of people with higher education and academic staff have emigrated.
In the last three years the lack of employees has become the main concern of the business climate in some sectors of the manufacturing industry. Businesses claim that deficiencies are evident in all types of skills and educational levels. The sharpest problems are going through the tailor factories, which are facing an acute shortage of employees at a time when the demand for work from abroad has multiplied.
According to INSTAT, in total, the country had 36 thousand fewer inhabitants in January 2022, compared to the same month a year earlier.