Youth unemployment (among 15–24-year-olds) in Albania has been persistently high. The overriding trend, however, is positive and the rate has now fallen for three consecutive years. In 2018, the rate stood at 28.3%, 11.5 percentage points down from its peak in 2015 (Instat, LFS). While this is encouraging, there are externalities that have contributed to this trend, notably high rates of emigration, including by high-skilled graduates.
In 2018, 28.6% of all young people aged 15–24 were not in employment, education or training. Almost 40% of female NEETs were inactive, while more than 50% of male NEETs were unemployed (Instat).