Work conditions in North Macedonia

The Active Population in Figures

Working Conditions

Legal Weekly Duration

Working hours amount to 40 hours per working week. Consult  Labor Relations Law.

Retirement Age

64 years for men and 62 years for women.

Working Contracts

Contracts of  permanent employment are of an unlimited period of  time.  There are temporary contracts, limited to  a maximum of nine consecutive months, used for seasonal employment, increment of activities or replacements.

Labour Laws

Consult Doing Business Website, to obtain a summary of the labor regulations that apply to local entreprises.

Cost of Labour

Minimum Wage

The monthly minimum wage is MKD 22,567 (approx. EUR 367), based on the Ministry of Economy and Labour's indexation mechanism, with a legal adjustment scheduled for March 2026 to reflect the previous year's average salary growth.

Average Wage

The average monthly wage in North Macedonia is about 43,053 MKD (around $820 USD).

Social Contributions

Social Security Contributions Paid By Employers: Sickness, Maternity: 9.2%

Retirement, Disability: 21.2%

Unemployment: 1.6%

Consult the Retirement and Disability Funds (in Macedonian)
Social Security Contributions Paid By Employees: Insurance is obligatory: 0.5%

Social Partners

Employer Associations

BCM - Business Confederation of North Macedonia

Social Dialogue and Involvement of Social Partners

In the public sector, union power is very important, salaries have been raised after negotiations with labor unions or after strikes of employees.

 

However, in the private sector, unions are almost nonexistent.

Labour Unions

Trade Union of the workers in Chemical, Metal and Non- Metal Industry
European Trade Union Cooperation

Unionisation Rate

45% of the workforce is organized.

Labour Regulation Bodies

Employment  Service Agency
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs