Around 40% of the workforce in Albania has emigrated abroad. This figure comes from the 2024 report of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The report estimates that a significant portion of Albania’s workforce is employed in other countries, emphasizing that this massive movement has had a substantial impact on local businesses, which continue to lose workers, not only in low-skilled sectors but also in higher-profile professions.

According to IOM, the main factors driving this emigration are high poverty rates, wage disparities with other countries, corruption, and the lack of meritocracy.

The report highlights that Albania and Moldova are the two countries most affected by workforce migration. Thousands of young Albanians have been forced to undertake dangerous journeys to Northern Europe, particularly to the United Kingdom, risking their lives in search of better job opportunities.

This phenomenon is evident in many sectors in Albania, including tourism, agriculture, and services, where the lack of workers has created difficulties for local businesses.