Resources for employers in North Macedonia
Resources for employers in North Macedonia
We use "refugees" to encompass forcibly displaced people with different legal statuses, such as refugees, subsidiary protection holders, temporary protection holders, asylum seekers, and other people in need of international protection.
In cases where differentiating information relating to each status is essential (i.e. regarding the right to work), this is clearly indicated.
Why hire refugees and stateless people in North Macedonia?
Since 2022, North Macedonia has received many individuals fleeing the war in Ukraine. According to the Ministry of the Interior in North Macedonia, in the first months after the outbreak of the war, more than 16,000 Ukrainians entered the country. While some left shortly afterwards, the number of refugees from Ukraine currently residing in North Macedonia has reached 18,700 by the end of 2023.
View the Western Balkans Asylum Dashboard in the UNHCR Operational Data Portal
To facilitate the integration of refugees into the society of North Macedonia, investing in their inclusion in the labour market is essential. Local businesses can play a crucial role by opening doors to refugee talent and helping refugee hires thrive in their workplace. Hiring refugees is beneficial not only for the displaced individuals, who get the chance to secure their livelihoods, meet people, practice the language, and find fulfilment but also for companies that benefit from reasonable retention rates and increased diversity. A report published by TENT has shown that 73% of companies report a higher retention rate for refugees than for other employees. Hiring refugees can also help address labour shortages and internationalize North Macedonia’s businesses thanks to refugees' language skills and professional networks abroad.
Read the report “Refugees As Employees: Good Retention, Strong Recruitment”
A good example
The Sokak restaurant in Skopje is a locally-owned eatery serving delicious Balkan-style food. In 2023, the restaurant employed a woman with refugee status from Syria as a technical staff and kitchen assistant. Previously, she had completed vocational training to become a chef as part of the state-provided employment activities. Additionally, she attended Macedonian language classes with the support of the Red Cross and UNHCR. The Red Cross also assisted her in finding employment. The restaurant owners are delighted with her engagement and dedicated work, noting that her colleagues have received her well. In addition, the company has shown much support for the employee, understanding her responsibilities as a mother and demonstrating flexibility and support in various ways.
How many refugees and stateless people are there in North Macedonia?
In 2023, the Ministry of the Interior reported that almost 19,000 refugees were in North Macedonia, most of whom were from Ukraine. More than 80% of the people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine and arriving in the Republic of North Macedonia are women, including mothers with young children and people over 65. At present, 38 people hold the Temporary Protection status that the Government of North Macedonia offers to Ukrainian refugees.
In addition, the country hosts a small number of asylum-seekers: approximately 2,000 individuals have applied for international protection between 2018 and 2024, originally coming from countries like Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Morocco. Only six individuals have been recognized as refugees, and 17 others have subsidiary protection. At the same time, the rest of the applications have been either rejected (157) or otherwise closed (1938), likely because the person left the country.
As of mid-2024, there were approximately 179 recorded stateless people and people of undetermined nationality in North Macedonia, in addition to a few hundred people at risk of statelessness.
Visit the Refugee Data Finder to learn more
How many of them are working?
An IOM survey from 2022 among 61 Ukrainians who had arrived in North Macedonia revealed that the level of education was exceptionally high, with three-quarters of those interviewed declaring they have a bachelor's or master's degree (79%), followed by 10% who finished technical and vocational training, 8% who completed primary education or secondary school, and 3% who finished other forms of education. The same survey showed that 47% intended to look for a job opportunity while in North Macedonia, and 15% were already working. The most desired sectors among the refugees were the trade, restaurant and hotels, service, health, education, and construction sectors.
Read the IOM North Macedonia report “Refugees from Ukraine Rapid Impact Assessment"
What are the main challenges?
Some of the most common challenges which refugees face concerning the labour market include 1) the language barrier and the lack of opportunities to learn the Macedonian language, 2) the complex notification process for validating diplomas from abroad, which impedes access to regulated professions which require specific qualifications, 3) the lack of matching services to help refugees find the most suitable job opportunities for their skills and professional interests, 4) no skill assessment in place, 5) the national employment programs and some of the services provided by the Employment Agency is not available to refugees, 6) Ukrainians with temporary residence on humanitarian grounds do not have a legal access to employment, 7) the validity of temporary protection (TP) identification documents is linked to the length of the holder’s legal status in the country, allowing individuals to access work and their bank accounts until the expiry of their TP status.
Stateless individuals in North Macedonia may encounter obstacles in exercising their right to work. Without recognized legal status or identity documents, they are often unable to secure legal employment and are excluded from governmental services that require identification. Consequently, many are compelled to work in the informal economy, which lacks legal protections and benefits. Additionally, discrimination and social exclusion, particularly against Roma and Egyptian communities, may impede access to employment opportunities. While the country has implemented measures to address issues related to identity documentation and birth registration, challenges persist in ensuring that stateless individuals can fully exercise their right to work.
View the Needs Assessment Survey of People Fleeing Ukraine in North Macedonia by the IFRC
| Status | Who it applies to | Right to work? | Process |
| Asylum-seekers | Individuals who have applied for asylum in North Macedonia but still have not received a decision on their application. | Asylum seekers have the right to work only within Reception Centers and, after 9 months, can access the labour market if a first-instance decision has yet to be made. | Asylum seekers cannot obtain a work permit without a personal identification number, which is only established once international protection is granted. The only possibility for asylum seekers to work is to be employed within the Reception Centre or another place of accommodation determined by the MLSP, but this has not been implemented in practice. |
| Refugees | Individuals who have a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. | Refugees have the right to work in North Macedonia. | The process is the same as for Macedonian citizens. |
| Subsidiary protection | Individuals who do not qualify for refugee status but who are unable to return to their home country because it would mean they face capital punishment, torture or inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment. | Individuals with subsidiary protection have the right to work in North Macedonia. | The process is the same as for Macedonian citizens. |
| Temporary residence on humanitarian grounds | Foreign nationals, including people from Ukraine and their family members who were forced to leave their country due to the current war, in line with the Law on Foreigners. | Individuals with a temporary residence ID card and identification number do not have the legal right to work in North Macedonia. | Individuals with a temporary residence would have to obtain other legal status (including temporary protection) to be able to have access to work in North Macedonia. |
| Temporary protection | People from Ukraine and their family members who were forced to leave their country due to the current war, in line with the Law on International and Temporary Protection. | Under the same terms as foreigners with regulated stays, they have the right to work foreseen by the Law of International and Temporary Protection (LITP). However, the Stateless people with permanent residence have the right to work.
| The process is the same as for foreigners with regulated stays. |
| Stateless person | A stateless person is someone who is not considered as a citizen by any country (whether recognized as such or not) | Stateless people with permanent residence have the right to work.
| North Macedonia does not have a statelessness determination procedure and does not formally recognize anyone as stateless. |
Bear in mind
Refugees cannot conduct business activity or be employed in fields where there is a legal requirement that the person has the nationality of the Republic of North Macedonia.
Once an asylum-seeker has been granted subsidiary protection or refugee status, the Intermunicipal Centre for Social Work (CSW) develops an individual integration plan for them, including a plan for labour market insertion.
Until the activation of Temporary Protection (TP) in August 2023, Ukrainian nationals had been applying for temporary residence for humanitarian reasons, which provided them with the legal right to reside in the country but no adequate access to any rights. Temporary protection was activated with a Government decision (entered into force in 2023 and extended on 30 July 2024 for a period of one year, or until 9 August 2025) and provides access to employment, health insurance, and social protection.
For more information on the legal framework, see the UNHCR Help Page.
How do I connect with refugee and stateless talent?
Employers interested in hiring refugees can contact the Employment Agency of North Macedonia, which supports the development of skills for better competitiveness in the labour market and manages the lead registry of people seeking jobs. Unless indicated otherwise, their services are available to all people granted international protection (refugees and people granted subsidiary protection) and include digital skills training or training customized to the employer's needs. A list of employment agency offices can be found here. Employers can also contact the North Macedonian Red Cross, which assists the displaced through health activities, mental health, and psychosocial support through their humanitarian service points. In addition, the Association of Ukrainians in North Macedonia “Lesya Ukrainka” and the Civil society organization Common Home for Mothers and Children from Ukraine have a vast network among the community of Ukrainian refugees and can connect companies with suitable hires. With regards to employment of stateless people, companies can contact UNHCR and its legal aid partner Macedonian Young Lawyers Association which provides free legal assistance and advice to stateless persons in North Macedonia.
What can I do to support refugee and stateless employees?
Companies which wish to facilitate the entry of refugee and stateless talent into the workforce can take several measures to make their recruitment and onboarding process more inclusive. For example, they can work with NGO partners to target refugee and stateless communities with job posts in different languages (e.g. Ukrainian or English); they can assist refugees and stateless people with the procedure to validate their diplomas and qualifications; they can organize or subsidize language classes in the Macedonian language to help the new hires; and they can get the rest of the company team involved through a buddy or mentorship program for refugee and stateless employees.
Profile of North Macedonia in the Integral Human Development Platform
“Skills for Employment” toolkit prepared by IKEA with best practices on how employers can open employment pathways for refugees
A report by the TENT partnership for refugees on “How Hiring Refugees Helps Brands: Europe (2023)”