The unemployment rate in Albania is at the lowest level in the last 10 years, Albanian Minister of Finance and Economy Arben Ahmetaj said on Wednesday.

Ahmetaj made this statement during a meeting with the National Labor Council. The unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2018 is 12.4 percent, according to Albania's Statistics Institute.

According to Ahmetaj, the major challenge is vocational training, which has lacked in the Albanian market.

The minister said that the government and the ministry will offer free courses in vocational training.

"We will reintegrate people out of work in the job market and support all those who find it impossible to get a job and have no other sources of income but welfare," stated Ahmetaj.

According to Ahmetaj, the data on the labor market are a reflection of the economic growth and development as a whole.

Moreover, according to the minister, the economic growth goes hand in hand with increase of employment. "Roughly 35 percent of jobs have been created in the last 4 years," said Ahmetaj.

"In the first 9 months of 2018, according to annual payroll obtained by tax office, there are 661,000 employees in Albania," added Ahmetaj.

"The 2019 budget foresees a further reduction to below 12 percent to the unemployment rate and to create over 30,000 new jobs," Ahmetaj said.