Business & technology

Young people outside work and education: the numbers need clarity

Valon Asani · · 1 min read

Young people outside work and education: the numbers need clarity

My Facebook post about young people in Kosovo was a request for clearer data, not an accusation of falsification. The issue matters too much to reduce it to an argument about a single percentage.

The Kosovo Agency of Statistics’ 2025 Labour Force Survey reports a 35.0% NEET rate for ages 15–24. NEET means outside employment, education or training. It is not the same measure as unemployment, so the two groups should not simply be added together. Official report, Table 1 and Table 4.1.

I asked how the reported counts and rates fit together, which population denominator was used, and whether the figures could be split into ages 15–17 and 18–24. Those are questions for clarification; I have not established the cause of the apparent mismatch.

I would like the discussion to stay focused on the young people behind the numbers. Clear definitions make it easier to understand the problem and to discuss what would help. The Switzerland comparison in the social post is not repeated here because an equivalent source and definition have not yet been confirmed.

Original social post · 2026-10-09

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