Labor shortages in the Albanian agro sector have pushed wages up sharply through 2022. In the third quarter of 2022, the average salary for an employee in the agriculture sector reached 41,205 lek, with an annual increase of 15.5%. The growth rates were among the highest due to the low salary base in this sector compared to others.
This increase narrowed the gap with the average salary in the country. In the third quarter of 2022, the difference between the average wage in agriculture and the average wage in the economy was 33%, from 37 percent in the same period last year.
In agriculture, wages are offered on a daily basis due to the seasonal nature of the work. Until last year, an employee in this sector was paid 1,500 lek per day, but this year the payments went to 2,000 lek in the areas of Lushnja, Fier where intensive agriculture with greenhouses takes place.
Farmers fear that the pressure for higher wages will be increasing, as the demand for vegetable supplies from Albania has increased significantly in recent years.
[ 100 lek = € 0.87 ]
Source: albaniandailynews.com