Job quality and working conditions in the Western Balkans

This report documents working conditions and job quality in the Western Balkans, drawing on data from the 2021 European Working Conditions Telephone Survey. It provides new regional insights into European working conditions and aims to raise awareness among policymakers, social partners, researchers and the wider public in the region of job quality and its importance for workers’ well-being. While the region still lags behind the EU in most job quality indicators, particularly with regard to gender equality in the workplace, the report paints a complex and diverse picture of job quality across various dimensions and countries. A region-specific combination of job demands and job resources found in several dimensions of job quality highlights some common aspects of the region’s work culture. In other cases, differences are more pronounced, even between jobs and workers in culturally close countries. Despite these challenges, many jobs in the Western Balkans demonstrate remarkable resourcefulness. With the right policies, this potential can be realised more effectively.