North Macedonia proposes law to transform 6,000 temporary contracts into permanent jobs

A new draft law has been submitted to the North Macedonian Parliament aimed at transforming approximately 6,000 temporary workers into permanent employees with indefinite contracts. The legislation targets individuals currently engaged through service contracts, author contracts, or temporary employment agencies within the public sector.

The proposed transition will occur in two phases. Up to 50 percent of eligible workers will receive permanent status immediately upon the signing of their new contracts, while the remaining individuals must be transitioned by December 31, 2027. Once the law takes effect, public institutions will have 90 days to finalize these employment decisions. To ensure stability during this period, institutions are prohibited from terminating existing contracts except in cases of serious breach of obligations.

To prevent the future accumulation of temporary staff, the law stipulates that from January 1, 2028, such contractual engagements will be limited to a maximum of 10 percent of the total workforce in covered institutions. The Ministry of Finance will oversee the financial aspects of the process.

Several sectors are excluded from this law, including joint-stock companies, the military and civilian personnel of the Army, primary and secondary schools, student dormitories, higher education and scientific institutions, and various security agencies such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Security Agency.