Albania’s shrinking workforce leaves jobs unfilled

Albania is losing workers as emigration, ageing and low training levels shrink the labour force, according to an OECD report.

The population fell by about 430,000 between 2011 and 2023, dropping to around 2.4 million.

More than 1.2 million Albanians were estimated to be living abroad in 2024. Albania’s emigration rate reached 31.1%, one of the highest in the region.

At the same time, employers are struggling to fill jobs. Albania recorded more than 61,000 vacancies in 2023, up 54% from a year earlier.

Unemployment still stood at 9.4% in 2024, showing that the problem is not just a lack of people, but a mismatch between available workers and the skills employers need.

Training remains weak. Only 1.6% of adults took part in education or training in 2024, compared with 13.3% in the EU.

The OECD warned that without more retraining, labour shortages could deepen and slow economic growth.