Macedonia Deputy Minister Ristesi launches 2026 employment subsidy program

Deputy Minister for Economy and Labor Marjan Ristesi presented the Operational Plan for employment 2026 at the Chamber of Crafts in Skopje and later in Kocani before business representatives. The plan includes two public calls:

1. "Employment and growth of legal entities" – companies can apply for subsidies to create up to five new jobs, receiving between 160,000 and 250,000 denars per position (up to 1.25 million denars per company). The call is open until 24 July 2026.

2. "On‑the‑job training with a specific employer" – up to 50 unemployed individuals receive three months of training, a monthly allowance of 12,000 denars and a one‑off employer payment of 30,000 denars per trainee, with an obligation to hire at least 50 % of trainees for at least three months. This call runs until 30 November 2026 or until the planned number of participants is reached.

By the reporting date, 1,373 companies had submitted applications to hire more than 1,700 workers through the scheme.