Wherever I was on a job interview, I would get the same answer: "If we need a technologist, we will call you." But nobody invited me. I believe that they almost always accept someone through a relationship or who is politically eligible, he says Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG) a girl who 11 years ago graduated in chemical technology at the Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology of the University of Montenegro.
She points out that she was looking for a job all over Montenegro and hoped that it would go easier, because there are few technologists in our country. Now there is almost no hope left. She has been working outside her profession for seven years, in a drug store, as a saleswoman.
A young man who completed international relations and political science at the Faculty of Political Sciences three years ago has a similar experience, and he still does not have a job in the field for which he was educated. He also works as a trader, since he did not pass any competition in the profession.
According to the data of the Employment Service of Montenegro (ZZZCG) from February 2024, there are over 38 unemployed people, of which around XNUMX are university graduates with completed bachelor's, master's or doctoral studies.
Most university students at the bureau have basic studies - a little more than four thousand. There are 268 of those who have completed master's degrees, and there are as many as 19 PhDs. It is interesting that in all these categories women are leading the way.
Of the total number of unemployed people at the bureau, almost 20 percent, about seven and a half thousand, are young people, that is, according to the current Youth Act of 2019, people aged 15 to 30. According to the last Census of 2011, there are about 142 thousand of them and they make up about 23 percent of the population. In the Youth Strategy for the period from 2023 to 2027, it is warned that the number of young people is constantly decreasing. The highest unemployment rate is in the age group of 15 to 24 years, of which 32,7 percent are women, and 40 percent are men, according to the document.
However, this is only the number of those registered at the bureau. The actual number of unemployed young people is much higher, as shown by numerous studies. According to data from the Center for Civic Education (CGO), as of 2023, almost 60 percent of young people, or 84 thousand, are unemployed in Montenegro. That survey also showed that around 40 percent of them want to leave the country, and that 62 percent still live with their parents. About 55 percent believe that personal acquaintances and connections or party membership are crucial in finding a job.
The ZZZCG survey from 2022 on youth unemployment showed that from 2017 to 2021, the youth employment trend was very unfavorable. In those four years, young people were employed almost four times less than in the previous period.
"Young people generally have a pessimistic image of the society they live in, but they consider it a 'mistake' of the whole environment and a consequence of the small number of opportunities that open up for them. They are primarily dissatisfied with the poor overall quality of life, and they want to leave certain municipalities because of pronounced social tensions," the Strategy states.
And UNICEF, for the purposes of this strategy, conducted a survey on the situation of young people last year. In that survey, the largest number of them, over 90 percent, believe that unemployment and the economy are one of the key or very pronounced problems in the country, and about 90 percent cite corruption and crime as the biggest problem.
It is interesting that almost half of young people, 48 percent, most of whom are women, want to work in the public sector, and that they have the most trust in religious organizations - almost every fourth respondent.
"The tendency to work in the public sector can be the result of gender roles imposed by a patriarchal society, where a woman is expected to have the biggest role in raising children, taking care of the family, the household, older family members, while her economic empowerment and achievement on the professional level, they set many barriers", according to the UNICEF research.
According to the research of the Network for Youth Activism of Montenegro (MOACG) from 2023, 84 percent of young people thought about leaving Montenegro in search of work. About 60 percent of them believe that it is very difficult or impossible for a young person to find a job in Montenegro.
"The situation of young people in Montenegro is rather ungrateful, since only almost six percent of young people believe that the process of formal education has fully prepared them for the labor market," says MOACG president David Vukićević for CIN-CG.
According to him, they are not satisfied with the opportunities for employment, advancement and personal development.
"The education system is ripe for serious reform, in order to provide them with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge needed for the modern labor market. Young people should fight for the quality of life with knowledge and dedication, not with nepotism, corruption and party-cratic actions".
Great demand for mathematicians, chemists, physicists... and the office has over 100 of them
Economists and lawyers are the most among the unemployed - 557 economists and 517 lawyers, of which in both cases more than half are women.
There are slightly more than six thousand unemployed people in Podgorica, and of that number, 1.006 have completed basic studies, 78 have master's degrees, and six are doctors of science. But a much higher percentage of unemployed in relation to the number of inhabitants is in cities from the north: Rožaje 4.749, Berane 4.231, Bijelo Polje 3.544. There are many unemployed in Nikšić as well - 3.745 of them. Most of the unemployed women are in almost all cities.
ZZZCG told CIN-CG that the highest demand in the past period was for university graduates who graduated from the Faculty of Science and Mathematics, that is, for teachers and professors of mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology.
"Beauticians, drivers, various medical workers, pharmacists, health and biotechnical teachers, music education and social-humanistic fields are also wanted. In addition to them, there is also a great demand for electronics engineers, technical and technological teachers, IT specialists, special education teachers, educators, as well as for various professions in the field of hospitality and construction (pizza preparer, server, drink pourer, assistant cook, waiter, armourer, carpenter, mason, concrete worker, facade worker...)", they state from ZZZCG.
It is interesting, however, that there are as many as 104 people registered at ZZZCG who graduated from faculties in natural and mathematical fields (mathematics, chemistry, biology and physics), and that five of them have doctorates in those fields.
Out of 104, there are currently eight mathematicians at the bureau. In Ulcinj - one person completed basic studies in mathematics and computer science, in Plav there is one mathematician, in Rožaje one teacher and one professor of mathematics and a graduate mathematician-computer scientist. There is one specialist in mathematics and computer science in Bijelo Polje, and one mathematician in Podgorica. There is also an unemployed mathematics teacher in Tuzi.
Almost every month, the Institute announces a competition for a teacher or professor of mathematics. Advertisements are usually published by primary and secondary schools throughout Montenegro.
There are no registered candidates at the "Daciće" elementary school in Rožajje for a mathematics teacher competition, where knowledge of the Albanian language is required as a special requirement, the director of that school, Ševćet Dacić, told CIN-CG.
"It is known to me that, due to the lack of staff for mathematics, a retired mathematics teacher works in an elementary school in Rozaj," said Dacić.
The "Slobodan Škerović" Gymnasium in Podgorica said that there are not enough mathematics teachers with a license to work in educational institutions.
"Most schools manage by hiring civil engineering or mechanical engineers," Aleksandar Vukićević, director of the "Boško Radulović" Elementary School, pointed out for CIN-CG.
At JU Secondary Vocational School in Bijelo Polje, mathematics classes are covered by teachers who are seniors at the Faculty of Mathematics.
The Association of Mathematics Teachers of Montenegro told CIN-CG that colleagues can hear every day that there is a big problem in finding professional replacements if one of the employed teachers takes sick leave.
"It often happens that a teacher who is employed in one school, where he teaches in the morning shift, is also employed for half of the norm in another school".
From this association, they warn that there are also mathematics students in their final year, but often also those who have only been at the university for a year or two.
The university admissions policy does not follow the needs of the market
Janko graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences (FPN) in Podgorica two years ago, but he is still looking for a job.
"Employers are mostly looking for people with experience, they don't like beginners. That is why there are a lot of young people who are university educated and cannot find a job", he tells CIN-CG.
It is not strange, he points out, to see young people working in betting shops, bakeries and similar places, where employers usually keep them on the minimum wage.
"Because of all that, it is clear why, in part, the outflow of higher education staff is happening. The young and the educated go abroad to find better jobs and earn money".
On the well-known employment site "Preko veze" the most common ads are in the field of catering, administration and sales. On a daily basis, this site is visited by about four thousand people. Most people are interested in the positions of sellers, administrative workers, drivers or managers.
On a similar site, "Zaposli.me", there are the most advertisements for waiters, cooks, maids, auxiliary workers, sellers and drivers of category B and C.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation told CIN-CG that the cause of the large number of university students at the bureau is inadequate planning of the enrollment policy.
They explain that the Higher Education Development Strategy for the period from 2024 to 2027 is being prepared.
"That document envisages the improvement of the enrollment policy at institutions of higher education that will consider the needs of the modern labor market, national priorities and individuality", according to this government department.
It is planned to further develop mechanisms for organizing practical teaching in higher education, which according to the Law on Higher Education must be a mandatory part of the study program.
From the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, CIN-CG did not manage to get answers to numerous questions until the publication of this text.
And Vukićević from MOACG points out that supply and demand are not aligned.
"Employers, especially in the last two years, are constantly looking for labor, but young people remain unemployed. This is, among other things, the result of the fact that jobs and earnings do not match the affinities of young people, which is why they often decide to go abroad".
His experience in working with young people, he says, has shown that they are mostly unwilling to gain practical experience through volunteering.
"Employers are obviously not in a position to increase the compensation for work, especially not for young people, who often do not have business experience in the profession that they chose in the process of formal education".
Some have been at the office for over 30 years
For the purposes of this research, CIN-CG conducted an online questionnaire about unemployment in Montenegro. About 160 people were surveyed. The results showed that the largest number of respondents, almost 60 percent, had a higher education, of which 71 had basic studies, 19 had a master's degree, and four had a doctorate. Seven respondents graduated from high school, and 59 from secondary school.
The majority of university students surveyed graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Law, followed by the Faculty of Science, Mathematics and Architecture. The largest number of them, as many as 136, do not work in the profession.
It is interesting that many of the respondents have been at the bureau for many years, 16 of them even over 10 years, and a few over 30 years.
The vast majority pointed out that the ZZZCG never offered them jobs at regular monthly meetings, and 135 respondents stated that they never got a job through the Institute.
When asked if they are thinking of leaving the country due to lack of work, as many as 60 percent, 94 people, answered in the affirmative. There are also plenty of those who want to leave the country for other reasons and they cite a bad economic situation, disrespect for the law, employment through a relationship...
"I can't get a place on the ranking list in public competitions from the party candidates," says one of the participants in the questionnaire.
Another participant states that she would leave Montenegro because of the insecurity, both in schools and on the street in general.
"The rule of law in this country is an imaginary noun. The education system and health care are poor. Working and raising children is very challenging, if not impossible".
Montenegro, along with Bosnia and Herzegovina, leads in terms of the unemployment rate in the region. Although unemployment decreased by around four and a half percent in the previous year, the rate is still too high - 13,38 percent.
The unemployment rate in Serbia, according to the data of the Republic Institute of Statistics from 2023, is nine percent. In Croatia, according to the data of the National Bureau of Statistics from January 2024, it is a little less than seven percent, while in Albania, according to the Bureau of Statistics, the rate is 10,7 percent in 2023. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to official data from 2021. year, 17 percent, but it must be taken into account that the picture of unemployment in that country has probably changed by today.
The United Nations (UN) has developed a Youth Strategy that foresees various goals to be achieved by 2030. One of them is to significantly increase the number of young people who have relevant technical and professional skills for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. At this rate, Montenegro will hardly achieve that.
Women are more likely to be unemployed, as many as 10 PhDs are unemployed
Data from the Employment Agency of Montenegro (ZZCG) show that there are more unemployed women than men in almost every field and at all levels of education.
Of the 4.394 unemployed with higher education, 2.863 or 65 percent are women, 268 of the 178 with master's degrees, and 19 of the 10 with doctorates are women.
Data from the Monstat Directorate for Statistics also show that more women graduate from university. In 2022, 2.430 people completed basic studies at higher education institutions in Montenegro, of which about 60 percent are women.
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