According to data from the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT), almost 120,000 foreigners arrived in Albania for work reasons in the first seven months of 2024. This is an increase of approximately 57% compared to the same period last year.
Therefore, interest in Albania as a favorable investment destination is growing. In the first half of this year, foreign direct investments reached 750 million euros – an increase of 8% on an annual basis – according to data from the Bank of Albania.
Among the factors that make the Balkan country increasingly attractive for investors are positive economic indicators, the improvement of the business environment, the creation of new investment opportunities, the development of the tourism sector and infrastructure.
Entrepreneurs are especially interested in the healthcare, construction, logistics and tourism sectors.
However, while it is true that many foreigners want to invest in Albania, it is equally true that the shortage of manpower and qualified personnel is a problem that some companies are trying to solve by hiring workers from other countries. In particular, Albania seems to follow the trend now widespread in some EU member countries, that is, the search for workers coming mainly from Indonesia and the Philippines.
Some companies have already published job advertisements to import manpower from these countries, following Prime Minister Edi Rama’s statement during the ambassadors’ conference “Tirana Diplo 2024”. In fact, the Albanian government is discussing an agreement with the Philippines that could bring 30-40 thousand workers to Albania to meet the need for manpower, especially in the construction and industrial sector, as well as in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
At the end of 2023, there were approximately 21,000 foreigners with regular residence permits employed by Albanian companies.
