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North Macedonia

Strategies for youth employment

Strategies for youth employment
Yes

Youth employment strategy planned in the next 2 years

Discussions within the government
No
Consultations with national-level stakeholders (e.g. employers’ and workers’ associations, youth councils, etc.)
Yes
A draft strategy already exists
Yes
Other (please specify)
No

Countries with national action plans for youth employment

Monitoring framework (timeline and activity/outcome indicators, e.g. youth labour market indicators)
Yes
Funding (indicative budget to implement the plan)
Yes
Institutional responsibilities (e.g. ministries/agencies in charge of specific planned activities )
Yes
Other, specify
No

Public funding for the national youth employment strategy

Public funding for the national youth employment strategy
No

Youth in the national development / employment strategy

Youth in the national development / employment strategy
Yes

Additional information:
Yoth guarantee scheme 2023-2026

Countries with national goals for youth employment

Countries with national goals for youth employment
Yes

Additional information:
The national goal that is part of the national strategy for employment 2021-2027 is decreasing the unemployment rate for youth (aged 15-29 years old) to 23,7% by 2027. Additional goals and objectives through the Implementation of the Youth Guarantee plan.

Countries with quantitative targets for youth employment

Countries with quantitative targets for youth employment
Yes

Additional information:
The youth unemployment rate (ages 15–29) in North Macedonia has shown a gradual decline over recent years. It stood at 25.2% in 2022, decreased to 24.9% in 2023, and further dropped to 23.6% in the third quarter of 2024 (latest available data).

Policy areas in national youth employment strategies

Macroeconomic and Sectoral policies
No
Enterprise Development
Yes
Education, Training and skills development
Yes
Labour Demand
Yes
Labour Law and Legislation
Yes
Labour Market Policies
Yes
Other (please specify)
No

Social partners' inclusion in the youth employment strategy

Workers
Implementation of youth employment strategies/programmes (e.g. social partners as official implementers of the strategy or programme)
Consulted
Assessment of youth employability (alignment of youth qualifications and skills to labour market needs)
Consulted
Monitoring and evaluation of youth employment interventions (e.g. active labour market programmes)
Informed
Awareness raising, marketing and promotion of youth employment (e.g. campaign to promote youth employment)
No
Formulation of youth employment strategies (e.g. national action plan for youth)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Development of youth employment programmes (e.g. sectoral programme with a clear target to employ X number of youth)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Employers
Implementation of youth employment strategies/programmes (e.g. social partners as official implementers of the strategy or programme)
Consulted
Assessment of youth employability (alignment of youth qualifications and skills to labour market needs)
Consulted
Monitoring and evaluation of youth employment interventions (e.g. active labour market programmes)
No
Awareness raising, marketing and promotion of youth employment (e.g. campaign to promote youth employment)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Formulation of youth employment strategies (e.g. national action plan for youth)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Development of youth employment programmes (e.g. sectoral programme with a clear target to employ X number of youth)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)

Youth-led organizatios' inclusion in the national strategy

Fully involved
No
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Yes
Consulted
No
Informed
No
Not involved
No

Countries with national partnerships for youth employment

Countries with national partnerships for youth employment
Yes

Additional information:
2025: Partnership with "umbrella" youth organisations, ILO, UNDP. *** Yes, strenghtening partnerships with relevant chambers of commerce, USAID.

Inclusiveness of vulnerable groups in national strategies

Women
Yes
Migrant Workers
Yes
NEETs
Yes
People with disabilities
No
Low skilled workers
Yes
Rural workers
Yes
Other (please specify)
No

Youth employment strategies and international cooperation

Youth employment strategies and international cooperation
Yes

Additional information:
2025: ILO is involve in the technical assistance for the implemnentation of the Youth Guarantee plan 2023-2026 year ETF is involve in the promotion of the Youth Guarantee plan, exchange experience from the other European countries and develop carrier guidance for youth as a part of the Youth guarantee plan. ___ 2024: We have technical and expert suport in preparation several strategic documents related to employment such as: national startegy for employment 2021-2027 year, Youth guarantee scheme 2023-2026 year.