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Kukes, Gjirokastra and Elbasan with the strongest decline in employment in 2025

2026-07-15 15:02:00, Ekonomi CNA

Employment in 2025 was characterized by a slight decline at the national level, but with strong differences between regions. According to INSTAT data, the total number of employees in 2025 suffered an annual contraction of 4,886 people or 0.4%.

The deepest decline was recorded in Kukës, where employment fell by 18.2% compared to the previous year. The number of employees in this region decreased to 28,323 people in 2025, from 34,621 in 2024, with 6,298 fewer jobs. Kukës continues to be among the regions most exposed to demographic contraction, emigration and poverty, factors that directly affect the labor market. According to data, 68% of employees in this region work in agriculture, the highest in the country, while the contribution to national agricultural production is the lowest.

After Kukës, the largest decline was recorded in Gjirokastra, where the number of employed people fell by 15.1%. This region had 29,540 employed people in 2025, down from 34,809 the year before, with a loss of 5,269 jobs. The shrinking working-age population, the emigration of young people and the concentration of economic activity in a few sectors make this region more sensitive to employment fluctuations.

Elbasan recorded the largest decline in absolute numbers, with 8,162 fewer employees. Employment in this region fell to 102,712 people, from 110,874 in 2024, a decrease of 7.4%. This indicates a weakening of the local labor market in a region with a significant industrial and services weight, where the restructuring of economic activities and the movement of the workforce towards Tirana and emigration have contributed to the decrease in the number of employees.

Korça also saw a significant decline, with 4,737 fewer employees, or -5.2%, while Shkodra lost 2,921 employees, a contraction of 3.9%. Dibra also recorded a decline, with 1,682 fewer employees, or -3.2%.

On the other hand, Tirana was the region that partially offset the decline in other regions, adding 17,986 employees, or 5.1% more than in 2024. This shows that the labor market is increasingly concentrated in the capital, where most of the services, administration, construction, technology, and higher productivity activities are located.

The data show a polarization of the labor market and economy, as Tirana continues to attract employment and labor, while peripheral regions, especially Kukes, Gjirokastra, but also those in the center such as Elbasan, are facing significant job losses. The main reasons are related to emigration, population aging, labor displacement towards Tirana and the structural weakness of local economies./ Monitor