So many people left this country that the number of unemployed also decreased. But the rate is still five times higher than in the countries of the European Union (EU). There is laziness as well, but the offer is very weak.
There are more than 359 thousand unemployed people in the country. In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), there are almost 200 thousand more than in the Republika Srpska (RS). How many of them out of the total number really do not have a job is difficult to determine.
”A large number of unemployed persons, for a long period of time, especially in the FBiH, use certain benefits, which are given to them by registration at the employment services, where they can use health insurance and some other benefits. So these are not active job seekers, they are some people who have already been around for a period of time and are using the benefits that are available to them by registering on the unemployment register,” explained Muamer Bandic from the Agency for Labor and Employment of BiH.
The number of unemployed will decrease, at least in the FBiH, if we judge by the announcements of the entity’s prime minister. He says new jobs have been secured.
”Employers had a huge fear because the labor legislation did not allow them to work flexibly with the workforce. So they increase it, and when bad times come, they decrease it. That’s what the new laws brought. And you won’t believe that the Labor Law alone brought 30 thousand new jobs. It’s almost unbelievable,” said Federal Prime Minister Fadil Novalic.
It also seems incredible that the average salary is 1.106 BAM, while employers offer foreign workers twice as much.
”That they are ready to give 1000 euros, accommodation, two meals to people who come from abroad to work. If these conditions were offered to workers from BiH, I don’t think any of our people would leave their homeland,” emphasized Lejla Causevic – Suceska, from the Association of Independent Trade Unions of BiH.
Therefore, one should not be surprised by the resentment of citizens who leave the country. Their reasons are clear – low wages and poor working conditions.