The VETNET opening session will focus on the education and employment perspectives of young people—particularly those participating in vocational education and training (VET). The session will explore developments in youth unemployment over recent years and feature invited guests who will discuss current challenges in the transition from education to employment.

Further details will be communicated shortly before the conference.

As a candidate country for European Union membership, the Republic of Serbia faces persistent challenges related to youth unemployment. At times, Serbia’s youth unemployment rates have been nearly double those of the EU. The peak was recorded in 2013, when the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 29 reached 41.6% (Eurostat, Youth Unemployment, 2024). Since then, the trend has been declining, reaching a low of 17.4% in 2022.

According to data from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia and other labour market indicators, the country experienced a general economic improvement between 2015 and 2018. This period was marked by rising economic activity, increased employment, and declining unemployment rates. Within this context, the Serbian government has implemented various initiatives to promote youth employment. The Labour Force Survey (2023) reports that the employment rate for youth aged 15 to 24 increased by nearly 5%, reaching 21% in 2018. While this is close to the Western Balkans average (20% in 2018), it remains significantly below the EU average of 35% for the same year. Across all age categories, youth unemployment has decreased, with the most notable reduction (14.4%) observed among those aged 20 to 24.

One potential strategy for addressing youth unemployment in Serbia is to promote youth entrepreneurship (Papić-Blagojević, 2025a). While OECD findings (The Missing Entrepreneurs, 2021) indicate that around 40% of young people are interested in launching their own businesses after completing their education, recent research suggests that this entrepreneurial potential remains largely untapped. A key reason appears to be a mismatch between young people’s qualifications and labour market needs. Both the level and the type of education play a crucial role in determining young people’s employment prospects (Papić-Blagojević, 2025).

Presentation and discussion.

Open

Еurostat. (2024). Youth unemployment by sex, age and educational attainment level. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/YTH_EMPL_090/default/table?lang=en OECD/European Commission. (2021). The Missing Entrepreneurs 2021. Policies for Inclusive Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment, OECD Publishing, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1787/43c2f41c-en. Papić-Blagojević, N. (2025). Trendovi nezaposlenosti mladih – aktuelno stanje i perspektive, Alfa BK Univerzitet, Institut za ekonomiku poljoprivede Beograd. [Youth Unemployment Trends – Current Situation and Perspectives, Alfa BK University, Institute of Agricultural Economics, Belgrade]. Papić-Blagojević, N. (2025a). Comparative Analysis of Youth Unemployment Trends in the European Union and the Republic of Serbia. In M. Panait, I. G. Rădulescu, B. Tudorică, C. Popescu, M. C. Voica, & M. Nica (Eds.), Creativity and Innovation in Digital Economy CIDE 2024 (pp. 190-199). Faculty of Economic Sciences, Petroleum – Gas University Ploiești Publishing House. Republički zavod za statistiku. (2023). Anketa o radnoj snazi. [Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, Labor Force Survey]. https://www.stat.gov.rs/sr-latn/oblasti/trziste-rada/anketa-o-radnoj-snazi/