The lack of workforce remains one of the biggest challenges for Albanian businesses, but not every individual with a university degree finds a place in the job market.

Figures show that last year, 19,000 people with higher education were unemployed, and nearly 13,000 of them were between the ages of 25 and 64.

Data from INSTAT (Albania’s national statistics agency) indicate that the number of unemployed university graduates aged 15 and above decreased slightly, as in 2023 there were 22,000 jobseekers with a university diploma.

The reasons why this category struggles to find employment are linked to the structure of the labor market and the quality of education.

The main issue is the mismatch between the degrees produced by the education system and the actual needs of the labor market.

Albanian universities continue to graduate a large number of lawyers, economists, and managers, while the market demands more technical professions, engineers, IT specialists, tourism workers, and skilled tradespeople.

As a result, many graduates either remain unemployed or accept jobs below their qualification level.

With the additional impact of emigration, salary levels have also become a factor — many individuals refuse to sign long-term contracts with employers due to low pay and limited opportunities.