Pensioners returning to work in North Macedonia: barriers and the new law

More retirees in North Macedonia are returning to paid work — not as a one-off hiring notice but as a growing labour-market trend. Employers across the region increasingly hire people from the third age both to fill persistent staff shortages and to benefit from their accumulated experience.

While neighbouring Serbia already counts more than 350,000 pensioners in active employment, recruitment of older workers is gaining momentum at home as well. Still, many pensioners in North Macedonia say practical barriers keep them from finding suitable openings.

“We want to do a few extra hours and we are fit enough, but we simply do not know where to look. Job ads are scattered across the internet and mostly aimed at young people. There should be one central platform, an app or a service — as is common in many developed European countries — where positions adapted for pensioners are collected in one place. That way we would easily know which companies are looking for people with our experience,” older citizens told reporters.

What changed with the new law that took effect on January 1 this year

The legal obstacle that pushed many pensioners into informal or freelance work has been addressed by the new Law on Work Engagement, which entered into force on January 1 this year. Under the previous rules pensioners could be employed on civil-contracts and authorship agreements where employers paid only 10% personal tax. The new regulation allows pensioners to take on legal temporary and seasonal work while continuing to receive their pension.

Key benefits in the reform include retaining an already-earned pension while working, and an obligation on employers to pay personal income tax as well as pension and health insurance contributions for every hour the pensioner is engaged. The law also sets limits: up to 120 days per year for hospitality, hotel and service sectors, and up to 180 days for agriculture. Businesses can use digital systems and mobile apps for quick registration and de-registration of such engagements.

Hospitality, services, retail, security and agriculture face the highest labour pressure. Employers say younger seasonal workers often move abroad — notably to Croatia and Montenegro — leaving local companies short-staffed. For many pensioners, paid work helps top up household budgets amid rising living costs; for others it is a way to stay active, keep routines and pass on know-how to younger colleagues. Several managers report positive experiences: older hires are dependable, bring professional habits and treat responsibilities seriously.

Photo: Ilustracija (AI)