"Covid-19 has had a significant effect on labour market metrics across the globe.This article aims to contribute to the understanding of the pandemic's adverseimpact on labour markets in the western Balkans and the need to take appropri-ate measures to mitigate this effectively in the forthcoming period. Using aspread of data, we analyse and compare the distributional impacts of the pan-demic recession in western Balkans labour markets in terms of the unemploy-ment rate and the average annual growth in real minimum wages. Our analysisshows a significant deterioration of labour market trends – not least in compari-son with the picture of 2019 which was broadly much more positive – which hasled to increased government spending on social protection measures. This needsto be continued, not least as regards vulnerable individuals, including young peo-ple, as the pandemic continues its track. On the basis of our results, and to dealwith the structural challenges presented by Balkans labour markets, there is aneed for further reform and updating of regulation, social protection and policiesin the labour market"

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