The Serbian labor market has been struggling with a shortage of workers in various sectors for years, prompting employers to seek additional labor through youth cooperatives.
According to the Bulevar cooperative, young people are most interested in jobs offering a good hourly rate. The price of work through youth cooperatives in Serbia varies depending on the job type, city, and agreement with the employer, but generally falls around the minimum wage or slightly above. As of January 1, 2025, the minimum wage in Serbia is 308 dinars per hour (net). Hourly rates for simpler jobs like sales, packaging, and administrative work range from 300 to 500 dinars, while specialized roles such as IT, translations, and social media management can exceed 800 dinars per hour.
Labor prices have increased by 40 to 50 percent compared to two years ago due to inflation. The highest-paid positions are in the IT sector, followed by physically demanding jobs and administrative work requiring foreign language skills.
There is consistent demand for workers in retail, packaging, and sales, with additional requests for positions in warehouses, fast food restaurants, short tourist video production, event hosting, and administrative tasks. The Bulevar cooperative also lists openings for web designers, social media managers, and marketing assistants, offering flexible working hours, especially on weekends.
Summer is typically the peak season for employers seeking workers through youth cooperatives, with young men showing the most interest in driver, delivery, cinema, and security jobs, while young women tend to prefer promotion work, boutique jobs, administration, and cinema roles.
Youth cooperatives offer temporary and occasional jobs, making them a popular option for young people looking to gain work experience or earn extra income. However, these positions are not traditional employment and are governed by specific rules. According to Article 198 of the Labor Law, youth cooperative members can work for a maximum of 120 days per year, with students under 26 and young people up to 30 eligible for these jobs.
Employers can hire youth cooperative members for seasonal or occasional work, with a possibility for workers to exceed the 120-day limit if they switch job types. Employers must obtain a work instruction or enter into a business cooperation contract with the cooperative, outlining the worker’s rights, obligations, and working conditions.
However, youth cooperative members do not receive paid vacation, sick leave, or paid time off. Their earnings are taxed and subject to contributions based on individual contracts, regardless of the duration of the work. Each engagement is formalized with a new instruction from the cooperative, detailing the terms of the contract.
