86.1% of young people in North Macedonia say they can balance work and family, OECD finds
An OECD analysis from 6 November 2026 finds most young people in North Macedonia say they can balance work, family and social duties, with regional differences across the Western Balkans.
On 6 November 2026 an OECD analysis found that 86.1% of young people in North Macedonia say they can successfully balance work, family and social obligations. The same study reports that 13.9% of young people in the country feel they cannot manage these demands well.
The OECD notes a small gender gap across the six Western Balkan economies: women report slightly easier work–life balance than men, particularly among those under 30 years old.
Vesna Iliova-Tasheva, a neurofeedback therapist, described how work patterns and expectations shape that balance: "Realno vo denesno vreme i ne e taka lesno da se napravi balans megu rabotata i privatniot zhivot, zatoa shto rabotata znae da odzeme povekje vreme. Bukvalno predizvicite so koi sekoj se srekjavas se razlichni. Zavisi koj so kakva rabota se zanima, ima razlichni teshkotii na rabotnite mesta i lugjeto znaat tezhinata od rabotata da ja nosat doma ili rabotat premnogu, prekuvreme i ne mogu da se posvetat doma na decata. I del od obvrskite ako ne gi sprovadat na rabotnoto mesto, treba da gi sprovadat doma i toa odzema pak od vremeto koe treba da go pominat so svoeto dete. Roditelot ke treba da zavrshi obvrzki, da sedi na laptop namesto da prosheta so deteto ili ako stanuva zbor za rabota od doma, ako lugjeto rabotat za stranski firmi, toa se razlichni vremenski zoni, i toa si pravi pritisok, tenzija, se sozdava anksioznost, nevolnost, pad na motivacija."
Cvetanka Petrovska-Todorovska, a psychotherapist, emphasised individual differences: "Zavisi od poedinetot, zavisi od rabotnite obvrski i mislam deka sekoj moze da najde balans ako saka da se organizira. Zavisi i od lichnite stavovi, od vospituvanjeto, od samata individua. Faktor sekako e i zdrave to, zavisi so tekot na godinite koj kako ke se srekjeva so obvrskite."
Regional picture and EU comparison
The OECD data show a mixed situation across the Western Balkans. Serbia records the lowest share: 69.5% of young people say they can balance work and family, while 30.5% say they struggle. Montenegro reports 70.3% (29.7% cannot), Kosovo 81.5% (18.5% cannot), Bosnia and Herzegovina 77.0% (23.0% cannot), and Albania 84.2% (15.8% cannot).
For comparison, the OECD notes that the EU average stands at 82.1% of Europeans who say they can balance professional and personal life, while 17.9% report they cannot.
Photo: press material from the event
