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Graduate Employability in the Western Balkans: A Career Ecosystem Perspective on Labour Market Inequalities

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Title: Graduate Employability in the Western Balkans: A Career Ecosystem Perspective on Labour Market Inequalities
Language: English
Authors: Elvisa Drishti (ORCID 0000-0001-6530-1777), Bresena Kopliku (ORCID 0000-0002-2529-6122), Jonida Lesha, Elona Hasmujaj (ORCID 0000-0002-5609-446X)
Source: Education & Training. 2026 68(4):587-609.
Availability: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 23
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Employment Potential, Labor Market, Sex, Rural Areas, Socioeconomic Status, Family Characteristics, College Graduates, Unemployment, Education Work Relationship, Employment Opportunities, Individual Characteristics, Socioeconomic Influences, Entry Workers, Career Development, Attitudes, Equal Opportunities (Jobs)
Geographic Terms: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia
DOI: 10.1108/ET-04-2025-0207
ISSN: 0040-0912
1758-6127
Abstract: Purpose: This study investigates inequality of opportunity (IOp) in university-to-work transitions among higher education graduates in the Western Balkan Six--Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Framed within the Sustainable Career Ecosystem) and IOp frameworks, it focuses on how demographic and socio-economic circumstances--such as gender, family socio-economic status, and rural origin--influence the time-to-first-job and early career outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on nationally representative data from the Regional Cooperation Council Public Opinion Survey (2019-2021), we apply a two-stage quantitative approach. First, we estimate lower-bound IOp in time-to-first-job using circumstance-based decomposition. Second, we assess how early disadvantage predicts employment outcomes such as job satisfaction, job security, and perceived job opportunities. Findings: The analysis confirms that structural circumstances significantly affect university-to-work-transition across the six Western Balkans. Graduates from urban and higher-socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds, as well as male graduates, transition into employment more quickly and report better job quality. Pandemic-related disruptions further amplified inequalities, especially for women and rural youth. National disparities are evident, with Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Albania showing more pronounced delays, while Serbia and Montenegro present relatively stronger private sector absorption. Research limitations/implications: The study is limited by its reliance on cross-sectional data and its focus on the period up to 2021. Future research could explore longitudinal analyses of employment outcomes, the role of informal networks, and post-pandemic labour market trends. Practical implications: Findings support the need for differentiated policy responses. For governments, this includes addressing rural-urban disparities, informal recruitment, and brain drain through inclusive labour market reforms. For higher education institutions, the emphasis should be on enhancing work-based learning, strengthening employer linkages, and tailoring career services to institutional and disciplinary contexts. Originality/value: This study contributes new comparative evidence on graduate employability and IOp in a strategically important yet under-researched European Union (EU) neighbourhood. It offers regionally grounded insights for improving graduate transitions and designing equitable career ecosystems aligned with European integration goals.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1505975
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Graduate Employability in the Western Balkans: A Career Ecosystem Perspective on Labour Market Inequalities
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  Data: English
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elvisa+Drishti%22">Elvisa Drishti</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6530-1777">0000-0001-6530-1777</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bresena+Kopliku%22">Bresena Kopliku</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2529-6122">0000-0002-2529-6122</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jonida+Lesha%22">Jonida Lesha</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elona+Hasmujaj%22">Elona Hasmujaj</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5609-446X">0000-0002-5609-446X</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Education+%26+Training%22"><i>Education & Training</i></searchLink>. 2026 68(4):587-609.
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  Data: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
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  Label: Peer Reviewed
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  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
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  Group: Src
  Data: 23
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  Label: Publication Date
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
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  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employment+Potential%22">Employment Potential</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Labor+Market%22">Labor Market</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sex%22">Sex</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rural+Areas%22">Rural Areas</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Socioeconomic+Status%22">Socioeconomic Status</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Family+Characteristics%22">Family Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Graduates%22">College Graduates</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Unemployment%22">Unemployment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Education+Work+Relationship%22">Education Work Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employment+Opportunities%22">Employment Opportunities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Individual+Characteristics%22">Individual Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Socioeconomic+Influences%22">Socioeconomic Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Entry+Workers%22">Entry Workers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Career+Development%22">Career Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attitudes%22">Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Equal+Opportunities+%28Jobs%29%22">Equal Opportunities (Jobs)</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Albania%22">Albania</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Bosnia+and+Herzegovina%22">Bosnia and Herzegovina</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Kosovo%22">Kosovo</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Montenegro%22">Montenegro</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Macedonia%22">Macedonia</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Serbia%22">Serbia</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1108/ET-04-2025-0207
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0040-0912<br />1758-6127
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: This study investigates inequality of opportunity (IOp) in university-to-work transitions among higher education graduates in the Western Balkan Six--Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Framed within the Sustainable Career Ecosystem) and IOp frameworks, it focuses on how demographic and socio-economic circumstances--such as gender, family socio-economic status, and rural origin--influence the time-to-first-job and early career outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on nationally representative data from the Regional Cooperation Council Public Opinion Survey (2019-2021), we apply a two-stage quantitative approach. First, we estimate lower-bound IOp in time-to-first-job using circumstance-based decomposition. Second, we assess how early disadvantage predicts employment outcomes such as job satisfaction, job security, and perceived job opportunities. Findings: The analysis confirms that structural circumstances significantly affect university-to-work-transition across the six Western Balkans. Graduates from urban and higher-socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds, as well as male graduates, transition into employment more quickly and report better job quality. Pandemic-related disruptions further amplified inequalities, especially for women and rural youth. National disparities are evident, with Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Albania showing more pronounced delays, while Serbia and Montenegro present relatively stronger private sector absorption. Research limitations/implications: The study is limited by its reliance on cross-sectional data and its focus on the period up to 2021. Future research could explore longitudinal analyses of employment outcomes, the role of informal networks, and post-pandemic labour market trends. Practical implications: Findings support the need for differentiated policy responses. For governments, this includes addressing rural-urban disparities, informal recruitment, and brain drain through inclusive labour market reforms. For higher education institutions, the emphasis should be on enhancing work-based learning, strengthening employer linkages, and tailoring career services to institutional and disciplinary contexts. Originality/value: This study contributes new comparative evidence on graduate employability and IOp in a strategically important yet under-researched European Union (EU) neighbourhood. It offers regionally grounded insights for improving graduate transitions and designing equitable career ecosystems aligned with European integration goals.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1505975
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1108/ET-04-2025-0207
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 23
        StartPage: 587
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Employment Potential
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Labor Market
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sex
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      – SubjectFull: Rural Areas
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      – SubjectFull: Socioeconomic Status
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      – SubjectFull: Family Characteristics
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      – SubjectFull: College Graduates
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      – SubjectFull: Unemployment
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      – SubjectFull: Education Work Relationship
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      – SubjectFull: Employment Opportunities
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      – SubjectFull: Individual Characteristics
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      – SubjectFull: Socioeconomic Influences
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      – SubjectFull: Entry Workers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Career Development
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      – SubjectFull: Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Equal Opportunities (Jobs)
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      – SubjectFull: Albania
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Bosnia and Herzegovina
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      – SubjectFull: Kosovo
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      – SubjectFull: Montenegro
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      – SubjectFull: Macedonia
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Serbia
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      – TitleFull: Graduate Employability in the Western Balkans: A Career Ecosystem Perspective on Labour Market Inequalities
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