Since gaining independence in 1991, the Republic of North Macedonia has faced persistently high unemployment rates, with young people being the most affected demographic. Youth unemployment remained above 50% until 2015, when it fell below this threshold for the first time. According to the State Statistical Office, the youth unemployment rate stood at 25.7% in the first quarter of 2023, decreasing to 24.0% in the third quarter of the same year.

In the first quarter of 2024, the active population in the Republic of North Macedonia reached a total of 788,909 individuals, according to data from the State Statistical Office. Among them, 687,351 were employed, while 101,558 were unemployed. During this period, the activity rate stood at 52.1%, the employment rate at 45.4%, and the unemployment rate at 12.9%.^[1]

In Q1 2024, North Macedonia's active population was 788,909, with an unemployment rate of 12.9% and an employment rate of 45.4%.

With aim to achieve higher employability of young people, the Government in the recent year is working on new measures through a combination of employment, education and social assistance policies (more in the next sections).