The Minister of Economy and Labor, Besar Durmishi, stated at a public hearing in the Assembly that the proposed Law on Labor Engagement of Persons aims to reduce the gray economy and provide social protection for workers.

Durmishi explained that the law will enable a simplified procedure for engaging individuals in occasional and seasonal work, addressing unreported work and supporting the formalization of informal economic activities. The Ministry of Economy and Labor is actively working on this measure.

The law allows the engagement of old-age pensioners and regular students without impacting existing benefits such as social and child protection, unemployment benefits, old-age and family pensions, social security rights, or student status.

According to Minister Durmishi, one of the law’s objectives is to prevent youth emigration by providing Macedonian companies with a legal framework for engaging workers.

The work engagement process will involve registering individuals through the Employment Agency’s register for recording work engagement. The collection of taxes and contributions will be managed through an upgraded tax and contribution collection system by the Public Revenue Office.