According to the Labour Force Survey, in the third quarter of 2024, the number of employed persons was 2 923 500, the number of unemployed persons was 257 100, and the number of people outside the labor force stood at 2 455 900.
Compared to the third quarter of the previous year, the number of employed persons increased by 61 300, while the number of unemployed decreased by 25 300 and the number of people outside the labor force decreased by 62 100. The employment rate was 51.9%, representing an increase of 1.4 percentage points (p.p.), while the unemployment rate was 8.1%, down by 0.9 p.p. The out the labor force rate was 43.6%, reflecting a decrease of 0.9 p.p.
Compared to the second quarter of 2024, there was an increase in the number of employed persons by 23 800, driven by a reduction in the number of people outside the labor force by 28 500, while the number of unemployed persons showed a negligible decrease compared to the previous quarter (fewer than 1 000 persons). The employment rate increased by 0.5 p.p., the unemployment rate decreased by 0.1 p.p., while the outside the labor force rate recorded a decline of 0.4 p.p.
Total rate of informal employment was 12.3%, where of the rate of informal employment in the agricultural sector was 52.7% and in non-agricultural sectors 6.1%.
The data in this release is compared to the revised data for 2023 and is not comparable to the data published in the releases of the same name during 2023 (more details in section: Revision)
(r) revised data
Table 1 Basic indicators of labour market trends, third quarter of 2024
| Q3 2024 | Changes relative to previous quarter | Changes relative to same quarter of the previous year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | p. p. | p. p. | |
| Activity rate | 56.4 | 0.4 | 0.9 |
| Employment rate | 51.9 | 0.5 | 1.4 |
| Rate of informal employment (total) | 12.3 | 0.5 | -0.5 |
| Rate of informal employment, excl. agriculture | 6.1 | 0.2 | -0.4 |
| Rate of informal employment in agriculture | 52.7 | 1.0 | -0.7 |
| Unemployment rate | 8.1 | -0.1 | -0.9 |
| Longterm unemployment rate | 4.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Out of labour force rate | 43.6 | -0.4 | -0.9 |
| NEET rate (15-24) | 13.1 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| NEET rate (15-29) | 15.0 | 1.4 | -0.8 |
Table 2. Population aged 15 and over, by working status, third quarter 2024
| Q3 2024 | Changes relative to previous quarter | Changes relative to same quarter of the previous year | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousand) | (in thousand) | % | (in thousand) | % | |
| Total population | 5636.5 | -5.5 | -0.1 | -26.1 | -0.5 |
| Active population | 3180.6 | 23.1 | 0.7 | 36.0 | 1.1 |
| Employed | 2923.5 | 23.8 | 0.8 | 61.3 | 2.1 |
| Formally employed | 2564.6 | 8.1 | 0.3 | 68.8 | 2.8 |
| Formally employed, excl. agriculture | 2379.9 | 6.0 | 0.3 | 63.6 | 2.7 |
| Formally employed in agriculture | 184.7 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 5.2 | 2.9 |
| Informally employed | 359.0 | 15.7 | 4.6 | -7.4 | -2.0 |
| Informally employed, excl. agriculture | 153.5 | 5.8 | 3.9 | -6.8 | -4.2 |
| Informally employed in agriculture | 205.5 | 10.0 | 5.1 | -0.6 | -0.3 |
| Unemployed | 257.1 | -0.7 | -0.3 | -25.3 | -9.0 |
| Out of labour force | 2455.9 | -28.5 | -1.1 | -62.1 | -2.5 |
In the third quarter of 2024, 12 600 households, i.e. 28 035 persons aged 15 and over, were interviewed.
Rounding rules
The results of the Labor Force Survey are published rounded to thousands, with one decimal place. Total values (summaries) do not always agree with the sum of the individual data, given that the ratings given in statistical publications are calculated using unrounded numbers (which gives more accurate data).
Revision of LFS data
During 2023 and 2024, the post-census revision and data revision were carried out due to the improvement of methodological procedures.
In 2023 the estimates of the Labour Force Survey have been calculated on the basis of demographic estimates for 2022, based on the 2022 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings. Demographic estimates based on the 2011 Population Census were used to calculate the estimates up to the fourth quarter of 2022 included.
Furthermore, the estimates for the reference quarter up to 2023 were calculated based on demographic estimates for the year prior to the reference year. On account of demographic estimates quality improvement in terms of timely data, since 2024 it has been made possible to calculate the estimates for the reference quarter using demographic estimates for the specific reference quarter.
For the sake of data comparability, data for the period prior to 2024 were revised.
The revision of microdata, i.e. at weight level, has been performed for the period 2021‒2023, while for the period of 2011‒2020 only major indicators have been revised. The reason of such undertaking was the change of the methodology of the 2021 Labour Force Survey (LFS), as well as many other methodological changes over 2011-2020
The revised data starting from 2021 and revised basic indicators from 2011 to 2020 are available in the database on SORS website: Database .
More information on all revisions from 2021, as well as a comparative overview of basic indicators before and after revisions can be found on the SORS web-site: Revision
Methodological notes
Labour Force Survey (LFS) is the most complex and the only internationally comparable instrument for labour trends monitoring, registering demographic and socio–economic characteristics of population aged 15 and over.
The main aim of the survey is estimating the labour force volume, i.e. employed and unemployed population, where employment relates to work in both formal and informal sector.
Additionally, LFS deals with characteristics of employment (professional status of the employed persons, their activity, occupation, rights realized at work…) and unemployment (acquired education, duration of job seeking, previous working experience…), as well as characteristics of outside the labour force population – their education, age, income source, reasons for not involving in the labour market, as well as readiness for involvement in labour market.
Persons (aged 15-89) who performed at least for one hour paid work (for cash or in kind) in the reference week, as well as persons who had an employment, but were temporarily absent from work in that week, are counted as employed persons.
Employment rate is the percentage share of employed in the total population aged 15 and over.
Informalogical notes employment is considered to be work in unregistered companies, work in registered companies without an employment contract, as well as the work of unpaid family workers.
Informal employment rate is the percentage share of informally employed in total employment.
Unemployed persons are the persons (aged 15-74) who, in the reference week, did no work for remuneration, who undertook active steps to find a job during four-week period ending with the reference week and who were able to start working in two-week time after the referent week.
Unemployment rate presents the percentage share of unemployed population in labour force (employed and unemployed).
Long-term unemployment rate is the share of individuals in the labour force (employed and unemployed) who have been unemployed for more than one year.
NEET rate – refers to share of persons aged 15 to 24 (or 15 - 29) neither employed, nor in education, training, in total population of that age.
Active population (labour force) includes all employed and unemployed persons.
Activity rate (share of labour force) presents the percentage share of active population in the referent population aged 15 and over.
Outside the labour force population includes all persons in the observed population (aged 15 and over) who are not classified in employed and unemployed population. Out of the labour force population comprises students, pensioners, persons performing household tasks, as well as all other persons who performed no paid job in the observed week, did not actively seek a job and who were not able to start working in two-week time after the observed week.
Outside the labour force rate presents the percentage share of outside the labour force population in total referent population aged 15 and over.
More detailed description of the Survey methodology can be found at the link Methodology
Starting from 1999 the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia has not at disposal and may not provide available certain data relative to AP Kosovo and Metohija and therefore these data are not included in the coverage for the Republic of Serbia (total).