Professionals in the Western Balkans have become popular on international online employment platforms.

Five countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia) were ranked among the top 10 in the world for the number of translators in relation to their population. The data of the “European Training Foundation” show that the number of employees from Albania and the region on international platforms has increased by 3.5 times since 2017.

The data show that by August 2021, about 4100 professionals from Albania were active on online platforms.

The study found that on online platforms, men are particularly favored in software development and other technology jobs and demand higher hourly rates than women.

Remote platform workers in the Western Balkans are usually young people who have the necessary digital skills and basic knowledge of their operation.

On the other hand, job offers from online platforms require employees with not very high data entry skills, which simply require basic digital knowledge, to software development projects that involve specialized knowledge.

However, the feasibility analysis of these platforms shows that career prospects on these platforms are not uncertain. It is also unclear whether the skills gained from working on platforms can be recognized in the traditional market. Some freelancers report that they have developed lasting relationships with clients abroad. Data has shown that translators from the Western Balkans have performed well on online employment platforms.

Data shows that platforms offer significantly higher salaries compared to traditional jobs. Remote rig workers from the Western Balkans charge between USD 14-18, up from around USD 20 plus charged by residents of EU member states.

However, employment on these platforms is often informal. Employees are excluded from insurance and tax schemes, while legislations regulating employment on platforms do not exist.

Young Albanians and those in the Balkans have chances to increase the employment rates in online platforms mainly due to the lower payments for work compared to Europeans.

Online platforms are offering more flexibility. They are particularly attractive to students. However, they present risks that have not yet been adequately addressed by public policy. Few of these relationships are covered by existing regulations. Some new forms of work, especially those related to digitization are not tracked by official statistics.

/Klara Ruci/