North Macedonia Signs ILO Programme to Boost Job Quality, Skills and Women’s Employment

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Claire Harasty, ILO Director for Central and Eastern Europe, said joint commitment could help build a more inclusive, productive and resilient labour market.

North Macedonia and the International Labour Organization have signed the Decent Work Country Programme 2026–2030, setting out joint priorities for improving employment, workers' rights and business development. Signed in Skopje on 27 October 2026, the agreement provides a framework for cooperation between the ILO, the Government, employers' organisations and trade unions. Its commitments cover better working conditions, stronger labour market institutions and wider access to secure, better-paid employment.

The programme responds to persistent employment challenges despite the country's continued social and economic progress, including labour shortages, demographic changes and emigration. Employers face gaps between available skills and business needs, and the economy continues to struggle with informal work and limited productivity. Low labour market participation among women and young people adds to the need for reforms that make employment more accessible.

Developed through consultations involving the Government, employers and workers' representatives, the programme connects labour reforms with North Macedonia's sustainable development and European integration objectives. It supports the sustainable economy and decent work priority of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2026–2030. Implementation will involve all three groups with ILO support, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals and closer alignment with international labour standards and the EU acquis, the body of EU laws and obligations.

Strengthening workplace protections and sustainable businesses

Creating an enabling economic environment is one of the programme's three priorities, covering the harmonisation of labour legislation and occupational safety and health laws. The work includes promoting social dialogue and collective bargaining, giving governments, employers and trade unions stronger mechanisms for addressing employment conditions. Support for productive, competitive, innovative and sustainable small and medium-sized enterprises forms another part of this priority, linking business development with improvements in the quality of jobs.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Claire Harasty, ILO Director for Central and Eastern Europe, said joint commitment could help build a more inclusive, productive and resilient labour market. She stressed the importance of cooperation in creating quality employment, strengthening institutions and supporting sustainable enterprises. Realising fundamental principles and rights at work remains central to that effort, alongside safer and healthier workplaces.

Matching education and training with employment needs

A second priority focuses on improving vocational education, training and lifelong learning so that people can develop skills that respond to changing labour market demand. Better connections between learning systems and employment needs are intended to address skills mismatches that restrict opportunities for workers and recruitment for businesses. The programme places skills development within a wider reform agenda that includes increasing young people's participation in employment and reducing informal work.

Minister of Economy and Labour Besar Durmishi said the agreement reaffirmed the country's commitment to better-quality, better-paid and more secure jobs. He identified workers' rights, relevant skills and greater participation by women and young people as priorities for cooperation with the ILO and social partners. Durmishi said success would be measured through tangible improvements experienced by workers and businesses, making everyday outcomes the test of the programme's delivery.

Removing barriers to women's economic participation

Women's economic empowerment is the third priority, with commitments to promote equal opportunities and remove obstacles that prevent women from entering or remaining in employment. These include care responsibilities, the gender pay gap, and violence and harassment in the workplace, which can restrict access to safe and fairly paid work. Addressing these barriers forms part of the programme's broader commitment to inclusive employment, stronger rights and an economy that offers opportunities to more people.