Butorović: Unemployment decline in Nikšić is the result of state reforms, not local authorities

The decline in unemployment in Nikšić in the last four years is a direct consequence of the state economic reforms that we have implemented through the Europe Now 1 and Europe Now 2 programs, said Minister without Portfolio and candidate for councilor on the "Zdrav Nikšić - Europe Now Movement" list, Milutin Butorović.

"Although the local government, led by Marko Kovačević, is trying to portray this economic success as the fruit of its decisions and city management, the truth is clear and undeniable - Nikšić's employment statistics have improved thanks to the vision and courage of state policy created by PES," he added.

Butorović said that the number of unemployed people in Nikšić fell from 6.384 in 2021 to 3.194 at the end of 2024.

"The unemployment rate has been reduced from almost 29 percent to below 15 percent - and that is no coincidence. This decline coincides with the implementation of the 'Europe Now' program, which brought benefits to employers, increased the minimum wage, and motivated thousands of employers to register workers who were previously employed in the gray zone," said Butorović.

He added that the huge number of "newly employed" in Nikšić are not new jobs, but rather the formalization of existing jobs, workers who, thanks to PES measures, finally got the chance to enter the legal system and exercise their employment rights.

"The reduction of taxes and contributions, the increase in the minimum wage from 250 euros to 450 euros, as well as the abolition of burdens such as mandatory health insurance for employers, have opened up space for "black" work to finally be reduced to a minimum. Across Montenegro, over 74.000 workers have moved from the gray zone to regular employment. This wave has also affected Nikšić - and that is the real truth behind the figure of "5.000 employees" that the local government is now trying to appropriate as its own. There are no new factories, no large investments, no clear local employment plan - but there are concrete results of the reform that we have implemented," he said.

Butorović said that "Nikšić is not an exception, but a mirror of the PES's state policy."

"In every city where the Europe Now program was implemented, employment and wages increased. Nikšić, just like other Montenegrin cities, took advantage of the fruits of a system that was created with the aim of making business easier and improving the living standards of citizens. The local government, which today is trying to present this result as exclusively its own, has not initiated a single essential measure that would lead to a reduction in unemployment, nor has it launched a systemic fight against the shadow economy. All key changes came from above - from state policy led by the Europe Now Movement," he said.

He added that the citizens of Nikšić deserve the truth.

"The drop in unemployment in Nikšić is the result of our reform. It is our fight against the grey economy. It is our incentive to employers. It is our contribution to every worker who is registered, insured and proud of their job today," said Butorović, adding that without the Europe Now program, the number of unemployed would still be at a historic high.