Macedonians are modest, Croats are the most ambitious, and how much salary does the average Serb expect?

Men in Serbia have higher expectations than women: on average they expect about 690 euros, while women work for 100 euros less, about 590 euros. Regarding age, the youngest have the lowest expectations, which is logical, because they are beginners, while the older ones are a bit more demanding, expecting up to 100 euros more on average.

This is demonstrated by the results of a survey conducted by the Jobs Infostud job site during the Regional Job Fair. The objective was to determine the situation on the Serbian and regional labor market. Region partner job sites MojPosao.ba, Vrabotuvanje.com.mk, MojPosao.hr, and Deloglasnik.si also joined the investigation.

More than 5,000 respondents participated in the research, of which almost 2,000 were from Serbia. Among the respondents in our country, there were 40% employed, 50% unemployed and 10% of those still in school.

The pay

When it comes to expected earnings, on average, Croatian respondents have the highest expectations: more than 1,100 euros on average. They have the lowest expectations in North Macedonia, where the expected salary is 524 euros. Respondents in our country expect an average of 606 euros, and in Bosnia and Herzegovina 809 euros.

In Serbia, 29% declare the desired amount of 401-500 euros, and 22% in the range of 301-400 euros. Less than 5% of candidates expect more than 1000 euros.

They fear for their job

A third of Serbian employed respondents (33%) fear losing their jobs in the next period due to the crisis caused by the pandemic. The situation is the same throughout the region, where the same percentage of respondents have the same fear. Last year, a quarter of employed respondents (24%) feared for their jobs, so we can see the direct impact the pandemic left on the opinion of employees in Serbia.

On average, men feel more secure in their workplace than women, and the same can be said for candidates with higher and higher education.

Good interpersonal relationships are essential

Interpersonal relationships are more important when choosing a job. That is, up to 63% of the Serbian respondents chose interpersonal relationships as one of the most important factors in choosing an employer. Second is the amount of earnings (62%), and third is the possibility of learning and advancement (42%).

Regardless of the country they come from, good interpersonal relations come first for all respondents. Respondents from Croatia emphasize this factor to a somewhat higher degree than respondents from other countries. The salary amount is somewhat more important for respondents from Serbia and Macedonia than for those from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, who especially appreciate the opportunity to learn and advance.

There are no big differences between men and women in the factors they look for when choosing an employer. Women emphasize good interpersonal relationships to a greater extent and men emphasize the amount of earnings. Working hours and job security are more important to women than to men.

How to get to work?

Respondents were asked what, in their opinion, is most important to getting a job, that is, which factors are crucial.

The majority of Serbian respondents believe it is about knowledge and skills (28%), followed by motivation and desire for employment (25%). Interestingly, only 7% of respondents believe that happiness is important to getting a job and 6% believe that party affiliation is important.

Priorities according to the employment situation differ: employees place more emphasis on income, the possibility of promotion for those who are studying, job security for those who are currently unemployed.

Overall, employers did well in the epidemic

Up to 74% believe their employer did well or even excellently in the crisis, while a quarter think their employers’ reactions were ignored and they did not show enough care for workers.

Respondents who (were) enabled to work from home were better evaluated by the employer during the pandemic, which was possible in up to 41% of respondents in our country.