The Albanian economy is suffering from a shortage of workforce. The continuous and unstoppable emigration in recent years, as well as the aging of the population, has created difficulties not only among businesses but also in the public sector, where the government was forced to increase salaries in an attempt to fill vacant jobs.

The Balkan Barometer survey showed that 3% of Albanian businesses are trying to replace laid-off workers with Artificial Intelligence, while the vast majority of companies are importing workers from abroad, mainly from India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, etc.

This difficulty in the labor market has reduced business profits, increased costs, and shrank the productivity of the economy.

Official data shows that there are 9,825 foreigners with work permits in Albania. The latest official data are those of 2023. Compared to 2022, the number has increased by 1520. But despite the increasing trend, foreigners with work permits constitute less than 1% of the total number of employees in the country, making them negligible compared to the demands and needs of the market.

The data show that foreigners with work permits are mainly engaged in accommodation and food service; in construction and trade, leaving many other sectors where there are needs uncovered.