According to the Labour Force Survey, in the fourth quarter of 2025 the number of employed persons was 2 828 200, the number of unemployed persons was 276 900, while the number of persons outside the labour force was 2 493 300.
Compared to the same quarter of 2024, there was a decrease in the number of employed persons by 66 700, an increase in the population outside the labor force by 31 100 and a slight increase in the number of unemployed persons by 3 800. The employment rate decreased by 0.9 percentage points (p.p.), while the unemployment rate increased by 0.3 p.p., as did the outside the labour force rate, which increased by 0.8 p.p.
Compared to the previous quarter, the number of employed persons decreased by 48 400, while the number of unemployed persons increased by 20 400, and the number of persons outside the labour force increased by 22 700. The employment rate decreased by 0.8 percentage points (p.p.) amounting to 50.5%. The unemployment rate increased by 0.7 p. p. and amounted to 8.9%. The outside the labor force rate was 44.5%, representing an increase of 0.4 p.p.
Total rate of informal employment was 11.0%, where the rate of informal employment in the agricultural sector was 49.8% and in non-agricultural sectors 6.0%.
(r) revised data
Table 1 Basic indicators of labour market trends of persons aged 15 and over, IV quarter 2025
| Q4 2025 | Changes relative to previous quarter | Changes relative to same quarter of the previous year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | p. p. | p. p. | |
| Activity rate | 55.5 | -0.4 | -0.8 |
| Employment rate | 50.5 | -0.8 | -0.9 |
| Rate of informal employment (total) | 11.0 | -0.9 | -0.9 |
| Rate of informal employment, excl. agriculture | 6.0 | -0.8 | -0.8 |
| Rate of informal employment in agriculture | 49.8 | -1.0 | 1.3 |
| Unemployment rate | 8.9 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Longterm unemployment rate | 3.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Out of labour force rate | 44.5 | 0.4 | 0.8 |
| NEET rate (15-24) | 13.3 | -0.2 | 0.0 |
| NEET rate (15-29) | 15.8 | 0.7 | -0.1 |
Table 2. Population aged 15 and over, by working status, IV quarter 2025
| Q4 2025 | Changes relative to previous quarter | Changes relative to same quarter of the previous year | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousand) | (in thousand) | % | (in thousand) | % | |
| Total population | 5598.4 | -5.3 | -0.1 | -31.8 | -0.6 |
| Active population | 3105.1 | -28.0 | -0.9 | -62.9 | -2.0 |
| Employed | 2828.2 | -48.4 | -1.7 | -66.7 | -2.3 |
| Formally employed | 2518.0 | -16.8 | -0.7 | -31.4 | -1.2 |
| Formally employed, excl. agriculture | 2358.2 | -13.2 | -0.6 | -8.5 | -0.4 |
| Formally employed in agriculture | 159.7 | -3.7 | -2.3 | -23.0 | -12.6 |
| Informally employed | 310.3 | -31.5 | -9.2 | -35.1 | -10.2 |
| Informally employed, excl. agriculture | 151.8 | -21.6 | -12.5 | -21.8 | -12.6 |
| Informally employed in agriculture | 158.4 | -10.0 | -5.9 | -13.5 | -7.9 |
| Unemployed | 276.9 | 20.4 | 8.0 | 3.8 | 1.4 |
| Out of labour force | 2493.3 | 22.7 | 0.9 | 31.1 | 1.3 |
More tables for this topic:
In the fourth quarter of 2025, 12 698 households, i.e. 28 329 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).
Methodological notes
Labour Force Survey (LFS) is the most complex and 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 to obtaining data on three main, mutually exclusive, contingents of population: employed persons, unemployed persons and outside labour force population.
Active population (labour force) is an additional aggregated category and it includes all employed and unemployed persons.
Activity rate presents the percentage share of active population (employed and unemployed) in the total referent population (aged 15 and over, i.e. in the indicated age group).
Employed persons are the persons (aged 15-89) who, in the reference week, performed a paid job for at least one hour (in cash or in kind), including unpaid family workers, as well as persons who had a job, but were temporarily absent from work in that week.
Employment rate is the percentage share of employed persons in the total population (aged 15 and over, i.e. in the indicated age group).
Formal employment includes persons who have a formal and legal employment contract, persons who are founders of registered companies or entrepreneur shops or perform independently an activity based on registration in relevant government institutions.
Informal 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 share of informally employed persons 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 the labour force / active population (employed and unemployed).
Methodological note:
Starting from this release, the long-term unemployment rate is calculated according to an updated, more precise methodology that involves using the duration of unemployment, rather than the duration of job search of unemployed persons, as in previous releases:
Unemployed by duration of job search
Includes currently unemployed persons and records the duration of active job search, regardless of whether the job search began during a period when the person was in another labor market status. The duration of job search of unemployed persons includes the total duration of the period during which the person was looking for a job, including the time when the job search began while the person was still employed (e.g. due to dissatisfaction with the current job).
Unemployed by duration of unemployment
Includes currently unemployed persons and measures how long these persons have been in the unemployment status. The duration of unemployment covers the period from the moment of termination of the last employment to the moment of the survey. Any active job search while the person was still employed is not taken into account, but only the duration of unemployment.
Long-term unemployment represents active job search for more than a year, and refers exclusively to the period of unemployment - from the moment of termination of the last employment to the moment of the survey.
The long-term unemployment rate represents the share of persons unemployed for more than a year in the labor force (employed and unemployed).
Due to the above changes, the data on the long-term unemployment rate are not comparable with the results from previous releases. Comparable data are available in the dissemination database.
Outside the labour force population includes all persons aged 89 and persons between 15 and 89 years who were not employed or unemployed in the referent week according to the definitions of employment and unemployment.
Outside the labour force rate presents the percentage share of outside the labour force population in the total referent population (aged 15 and over, i.e. in the indicated age group).
NEET rate – refers to the share of persons aged 15 to 24 (or 15 - 29) neither employed, nor in education, training, in the total population of that age.
More detailed description of the Survey methodology can be found at the link Methodology
The Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia has not had data for the AP Kosovo and Metohija since 1999, so they are not included in the total data for the Republic of Serbia.