Bosnia-Herzegovina employers warn of bureaucratic obstacles in public hiring programs

Employers in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina consider public employment programmes essential for addressing a chronic labour shortage, but many cite complex administrative requirements, reporting obligations, mismatched programme deadlines and technical problems with digital applications as major obstacles. A survey by the Employers Association of FBiH showed that while more than 80% of firms want to use these measures, about a quarter abandon them because of the cumbersome procedures.

Director of the Employers Association Mario Nenadić highlighted that official records list roughly 250,000 unemployed people, yet only 30‑40,000 are active job seekers, calling the system “a lottery” and stressing the need for updated data, digitalisation, AI‑based matching, clearer communication and streamlined procedures to better align programmes with market needs.