In 2024, the labor force of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) consisted of 1.413 million people, of which 1.235 million (87.4 percent) were employed, while 179 thousand (12.6 percent) were unemployed. Compared to the previous year, the number of employed increased by 3.3 percent, while the number of unemployed decreased by 1.5 percent, indicating moderate but stable progress in the labor market.
At the same time, the number of people outside the labor force amounted to 1.463 million, which represents a decrease of 2.6 percent compared to the previous quarter – which could indicate increased participation in the labor force.
49 percent of people active in the labor market
According to the data of the Agency for Statistics of BiH, last year the activity rate was 49.1 percent, the employment rate 42.9 percent, the unemployment rate 12.6 percent, and the inactivity rate 50.9 percent.
Simply put: 49.1 percent of the total working-age population (usually older than 15) was active in the labor market, i.e., they were either working (employed) or looking for a job (unemployed). 42.9 percent of the working-age population was employed. In other words, of all the people who are able to work, less than half actually had a job.
Of all those actively seeking employment or working, 12.6 percent did not have a job but were ready and able to work, while more than half of the working-age population was outside the labor market – neither working nor actively looking for a job.
According to data from the Labor Force Survey in 2024, of the total number of people making up the labor force, 856 thousand (60.6 percent) were men, and 557 thousand (39.4 percent) were women. Of the total number of people outside the labor force, 548 thousand (37.4 percent) were men, and 915 thousand (62.6 percent) were women. Of the total number of employed persons, 770 thousand (62.3 percent) were men, and 465 thousand (37.7 percent) were women, while of the total number of unemployed persons, 86 thousand (48.4 percent) were men, and 92 thousand (51.6 percent) were women.
Educational structure
Last year, of the total number of employed persons, 66.1 percent belonged to the age group of 25 to 49 years, followed by 27.6 percent in the age group of 50 to 64 years, 4.8 percent in the age group of 15 to 24 years, and 1.5 percent were 65 and older. Of the total number of unemployed persons, 65.2 percent belonged to the age group of 25 to 49 years, followed by 19.9 percent in the age group of 50 to 64 years, 14.4 percent in the age group of 15 to 24 years, and 0.4 percent were 65 and older.
The highest share in the educational structure of persons making up the labor force is held by those with completed secondary school and specialization, at 69 percent, followed by persons with completed higher education, university degree, master’s degree, doctorate at 22.0 percent, and persons with completed primary school or lower education at nine percent.
The highest share in the educational structure of persons outside the labor force is held by persons with completed primary school or lower education at 49.1 percent, followed by persons with completed secondary school and specialization at 45.2 percent, and persons with completed higher education, university degree, master’s degree, doctorate at 5.7 percent. The educational structure of employed persons shows that 68.9 percent have completed secondary school and specialization, followed by those with completed higher education, university degree, master’s degree, doctorate at 23.2 percent, and persons with completed primary school or lower education at 7.9 percent. The educational structure of unemployed persons shows that 69.8 percent have completed secondary school and specialization, followed by persons with completed primary school or lower education at 16.7 percent, and persons with completed higher education, university degree, master’s degree, doctorate at 13.6 percent. In 2024, of the total number of unemployed persons, 48 thousand had been looking for a job for less than 12 months, while 24 thousand persons had been looking for a job from 12 months to two years. The number of unemployed persons who had been looking for a job for two years or more amounted to 107 thousand, Forbes writes.
