Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation, Blendi Gonxhja, shared on Saturday the latest data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report “Economic Convergence Scoreboard for the Western Balkans 2025”.

According to Gonxhja, these data prove once again the vital role that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have in the Albanian economy, which he calls “the pillar of employment in Albania”.

“A regional record for Albania. In the period 2020-2023, 82% of employees in Albania were engaged in SMEs. This is the highest indicator in the entire Western Balkans, also exceeding the European Union average, which results in 64.5%, which places Albania significantly above the European standard in terms of the dependence of the labor market on SMEs,” Gonxhja said in a post on social networks.

Minister Gonxhja stated that the importance of SMEs as an employment engine is even greater in Albania than in many other European countries.

“The Albanian labor market is highly dependent on the sustainability and development of SMEs, so any policy supporting them is a social and economic policy at the same time,” he said.

Gonxhja underlined that Albania has a strong base of small and medium-sized enterprises, but in order to transform them into a source of sustainable growth, the report emphasizes that it is necessary to take several important steps, such as improving the business climate, digitalization, easier access to finance, and building professional capacities.

“The OECD report emphasizes that the large weight of SMEs in the Albanian labor market is an asset, but also a challenge. Policies to support their growth, innovation, and competitiveness are essential for the process of convergence with the EU,” he continued.

The Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation is committed to promoting and creating policies that promote business development in order to increase employment in the country, focusing on the commitments undertaken within the framework of European integration.