Nikolloski: The quota for foreign workers could reach 20,000 next year and 50,000 by 2030

North Macedonia is facing difficulties in securing a workforce, so increasing the quota for foreign workers from 10,000 to 13,000 is a reasonable decision, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Aleksandar Nikolloski said yesterday.

He assessed that the need for workers from abroad would be even greater next year.

“In my view, next year the quota should be increased to 20,000, while by 2030 we should reach 50,000 foreign workers per year who will work in Macedonia if we aim to maintain this level of GDP growth,” Nikolloski said last night on the “360” program. He added that “Bechtel and Enka” no longer faced a labor shortage after the quota was increased, whereas previously they had been short of 670 workers.

For 2026, the government has set a quota of 10,000 work permits for foreign nationals, which will begin to be implemented on January 16. In total, 9,750 permits are planned for regular employment, 200 for foreign workers sent to the country, and 50 for seasonal work. Of the regular employment permits, 4,500 are intended for new workers, while 5,250 concern the extension of existing permits.

Data show that the number of foreign workers with residence permits reached 6,128 in 2025, or three and a half times more than five years earlier, when 1,704 people had received such permits. The highest demand for foreign workers is observed in construction, industry, hospitality and trade. The countries from which most workers come include Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Turkey, China and the Philippines.