North Macedonia: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, North Macedonia's unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) fell 0.73 percentage points on 2024 (from 12.27% to 11.53%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −0.59 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.15 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 5.6 percentage points in 1995 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.8 percentage points in 1996. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is downward, about 1.45 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 96% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, North Macedonia had the 2nd highest value of the 84 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to North Macedonia in the 2025 ranking

• West Bank and Gaza — 1st of 84: 28.71%
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 3rd of 84: 10.73%
• Spain — 4th of 84: 10.5%
• Angola — 5th of 84: 10.39%

What this measures

Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.

Limitations: The criteria for people considered to be seeking work, and the treatment of people temporarily laid off or seeking work for the first time, vary across countries. In many cases it is especially difficult to measure employment and unemployment in agriculture. The timing of a survey can maximize the effects of seasonal unemployment in agriculture. And informal sector employment is difficult to quantify where informal activities are not tracked.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 44 values

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) in nearby economies

• Albania — 8.43% (2024)
• Armenia — 8.3% (2023)
• Austria — 5.78% (2025)
• Azerbaijan — 5.7% (2022)
• Belarus — 2.53% (2025)
• Belgium — 6.18% (2025)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 10.73% (2025)
• Bulgaria — 3.52% (2025)
• Croatia — 4.85% (2025)

More social protection & labor data for North Macedonia

• Net migration — -5,645 (2025)
• Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) — 10.57% (2025)
• Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) — 12.23% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 23.57% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 36.44% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 30.08% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 55.89% (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is North Macedonia's unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate)?

11.53% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1982?

It is down 10.47 percentage points from 22% in 1982. The highest value was 37.32% in 2005 and the lowest 11.53% in 2025.

How does North Macedonia rank?

2nd highest of 84 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) unusual for North Macedonia?

In 2025, North Macedonia's unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) fell 0.73 percentage points on 2024 (from 12.27% to 11.53%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −0.59 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.15 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.NE.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: September 28, 2026 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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