This Eurofound research report documents working conditions and job quality in the Western Balkans based on the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey data collected in 2021. It brings new regional insights to the analysis of European working conditions and strives to raise awareness of the topic and broaden the perspectives of policymakers, social partners, researchers and the wider public in the region. While the region still lags behind the European Union in most labour market indicators, and notably in gender equality at work, this report paints a complex and diverse picture of job quality across various dimensions and countries. Region-specific combinations of job demands and job resources found in several dimensions of job quality highlight some common aspects of the region’s work culture, while in other cases differences are pronounced, even between jobs and workers in the culturally closest countries. Nevertheless, many jobs in the Western Balkans demonstrate a remarkably high level of resources, and, with the right policies, many more could become more resourceful. The research report is available for free here.
