Changes in job market trends in Serbia
In the first half of this year, the Serbian job market has shown its first signs of recovery following a decline during the previous year. Between January and the end of June, 32,713 job adverts were published on the Poslovi Infostud website, which is approximately three per cent higher than in the same period last year.
Infostud reported that a particularly encouraging statistic is the number of adverts aimed at young people, which rose by an impressive 24 per cent, while the construction, tourism, and hospitality sectors recorded the highest increase in demand for workers.
More intensive hiring compared to last year
It was highlighted that, following a challenging 2025 when the job market recorded a decline in the number of adverts, the results from the first half of this year point to a gradual stabilisation and recovery.
Although the growth is not dramatic, it represents a positive signal that companies are once again hiring more intensively. The largest number of adverts still comes from the retail sector, which saw 6,570 adverts published during the first six months. This was followed by manufacturing with 3,389 adverts, the service sector and skilled trades with 2,962, tourism and hospitality with 2,429, and construction and architecture with 2,232.
Recruitment growth by industry
Regarding changes compared to the same period last year, the biggest growth was recorded in construction and architecture, where the number of adverts increased by 15 per cent, as well as in tourism and hospitality, which saw a 13 per cent rise.
Growth was also recorded in retail, the service sector and skilled trades, as well as the food industry, demonstrating that the recovery is not limited to a single branch of the economy but is present across multiple sectors.
Concerning trends in the IT sector
On the other hand, the IT sector continues to experience a decline.
The number of adverts in this field is down by approximately 32 per cent compared to the first half of last year, with the total number of IT adverts falling from 2,508 to 1,633.
In spite of this, IT Help Desk and Support, software engineers and programmers, and Full Stack and Backend developers remain among the most sought-after profiles.
Optimism regarding the employment of young people
A particularly positive trend was recorded regarding young people. During the first half of this year, 4,868 adverts aimed at students and youth were published, representing an impressive 24 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
Their share of the total number of adverts rose from 12 per cent to nearly 15 per cent, showing that employers are gradually reopening their doors to candidates who are just entering the job market.
Which occupations are in the highest demand?
The most sought-after individual positions remained largely unchanged. The highest number of adverts was published for shop assistants, warehouse workers, drivers, waiters, administrative staff, sales representatives, production workers, chefs, telephone operators, and sales advisors.
What does the salary data reveal?
When it comes to the salaries offered by employers in adverts in Serbia, among the most in-demand occupations, sales representatives and drivers stand out with an average offered salary of around 125,000 dinars. Meanwhile, salaries for production workers and administrative staff hovered around 88,000 dinars, warehouse workers around 86,000 dinars, and shop assistants around 80,000 dinars.
At the same time, the shortage of workers in certain skilled trades and hospitality roles remains one of the greatest challenges for employers. Among the positions for which it was hardest to find candidates in the first six months are panel beaters, metalworkers, bakers, bartenders, butchers, and head chefs.
Despite employers offering above-average salaries for some of these roles, the number of applications remains low.
For instance, the average salary for a head chef was around 154,000 dinars, while for panel beaters it reached up to 180,000 dinars.
A period of stabilisation and job market recovery
Data from the first half of this year shows that the job market is entering a more stable phase compared to last year. Although it is still too early to talk about a full recovery, the growth in the number of adverts, higher demand for young people, and increased activity in several key economic sectors represent encouraging indicators for the remainder of the year.
At the same time, the long-standing shortage of qualified skilled trade workers remains one of the domestic job market’s biggest challenges, confirming that even increasingly competitive salaries are often not enough to offset the shortage of skilled personnel.
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