These Jobs Had Highest Wages in Q2, 2019

TIRANA, 12 September

The average monthly gross wage for an employee in Albania was Lek52.645 in the second trimester of 2019. The Institute of Statistics has posted on Wednesday, 11 September the publication titled ‘The salary statistics’, and based on the report the average monthly wage was increased by 4.5% compared to the same period of last year.  

In the second trimester of 2019, the sectors of information and communication, agriculture, hostelry, services of accommodation, restaurants, arts, and recreation registered the biggest increase of the salary during the Q2 of 2019, according to official data by INSTAT. 

The biggest decrease in wages was in the construction sector, by 2.6% in the second trimester of 2019, compared to the same period of last year. This comes as a result of not matching the offer with the demand. The high number of constructions, especially in Tirana, hasn’t had the same response from the buyers recently, as their prices per m2 have gone up, thus becoming more expensive for potential buyers. 

The financial and insurance sector was the sector with the highest wages for the second trimester of 2019 

According to official data by INSTAT,  the average monthly gross salary in this sector was around Lek113.000. But data shows that this sector has had a slight decrease during this period, by 0.7%. The banking system has entered a phase of restructuring and sales, which has caused massive cut-downs of staff in this sector. 

During the Q2 of 2019, the average monthly gross wage for an employee in the group of professions of lawmakers, administration’s employees, and executive directors was 90% higher than the average on a national scale, whereas the group of workers (simple professions) was 39.3% less. 

After arts, recreation and other activities related to services, the sector of information and communication had the biggest increase in the monthly gross wage, by 11.7% during the Q2 of 2019. This sector is, in fact, the second-highest-paid currently in Albania, with an average gross wage of Lek87.000. The development of the IT and technology in the recent years, is turning these businesses into one of the most required by the young adults and those who look for work, and most profitable in terms of wages. 

In general, the other professions pay lower than Lek60.000/monthly, with agriculture, forestry, and fishing being the least paid professions, with an average monthly gross wage of Lek39.000. The administration sector seems to pay more than the private sector, with an average monthly gross wage of Lek63.000 and Lek47.000 respectively. The minimal wage in Albania is Lek26.000 (or €215) being the lowest not only in the Balkan region, but in Europe too.   

Source/INSTAT

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