The most important thing is that pensioners feel a significant increase in pensions in the coming year, especially those with the lowest incomes, said Federal Minister of Labor and Social Policy Adnan Delić in an interview, summarizing the scope of projects in 2025 and announcing reform laws in 2026 that should stabilize the labor market, increase employment and ensure stronger filling of the pension-disability system at the level of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The most significant projects in 2025
The minister said that a large number of projects were implemented in the current year, but it is important to point out that for the first time items were introduced in the budget that enabled the financing of all social service providers.
“We have introduced a new practice when it comes to social protection, which is the financing of certain projects at the level of the entire Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he said.
He added that for the first time, items were introduced in the budget that enabled the financing of all social service providers, whether private or public institutions, which provided them with support that they did not have until now.
“This support is aimed above all at the most vulnerable categories of society, people with disabilities, the elderly and infirm, and children without parental care,” he emphasized.
He singled out the adoption of the Strategy for Improving the Rights and Position of Persons with Disabilities, which sets goals for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and whose implementation the ministry plans to implement in order to improve the rights and position of persons with disabilities.
Speaking about the laws, Delić said that he hopes that by the end of the year the law on mediation in employment and the law on employment of foreigners will be adopted, which regulate the labor market and should provide a stable and safe market, increase the number of employees and guarantee more stable filling of the pension and disability system.
The minister reminded that with the increase in the minimum wage, the compensation for parents-caregivers increased from 619 to 1,000 KM, and the child allowance from 117 to 190 KM.
“This contributed to the expansion of the scope of new users and the number of new users grew to almost 20,000 children in December,” he said.
Law on pension and disability insurance
“What is currently the most relevant is the law on pension and disability insurance,” Delić said. As he stated, the Ministry has completed its obligations, and the financial structure remains to be found in order for the law to be at the session of the House of Representatives of the Federal Parliament on December 29.
“Pensioners will have their pensions increased in the coming year, especially those who receive the lowest pension,” he emphasized.
He added that this is one of the most extensive and financially difficult laws at the level of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“It is not easy to change anything and expect something to happen by itself. We do intensive projections almost every day, because that law “costs a lot”, he said.
Labor Law
Speaking about the Labor Law, Minister Delić emphasized that it is a whole that includes the reform of the labor market and labor law legislation, all with the aim of providing a more favorable working environment for all workers, especially in the private sector.
“The public sector is something else entirely. They have certain regulations by which they work and rights that are guaranteed to them in the civil service law. What is necessary is to improve the environment of workers in the private sector,” he said.
He added that this must be done together with employers, because they are the generator and engine of the development of society.
“Without employers, there are no new jobs, and there are no existing jobs if they do not have a favorable environment for investment,” he emphasized.
The new law envisages harmonization with 15 directives of the European Union, and it incorporates the remarks of end users from the informal public discussion.
“The most important issue in the public is the fixed-term contract and the indefinite-term contract. The indefinite-term contract must remain a practice in order to avoid the abuse of fixed-term contracts, especially expressed in the education sector and other sectors,” he said.
He stated that employers often deregister workers in order to prevent them from acquiring the right to an indefinite contract, which deprives workers of security and a future in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“There was a lot of controversy regarding the use of breaks, which should be included in the eight-hour daily time. Employers are against it, but I hope we will reach a compromise,” he said.
He added that the law provides for the protection of mothers and pregnant women, a more precise definition of overtime work, additional and supplemental work, regulation of digital platforms that have not had a legal foothold until now, and work from home.
“I hope that the law will offer tools that benefit employers, but above all workers,” he concluded.
Social benefits by cantons
The minister clarified that the area of social protection is under the joint jurisdiction of the entity and the canton, and that the ministry organized ministerial coordination with all cantonal ministers in order to standardize rights and benefits.
“It is very difficult, because no canton is equal, neither financially nor in terms of other opportunities,” he said.
He added that there are fragmented amounts of social benefits and legal solutions, but that every citizen has equal rights.
“The best example is the one-time maternity benefit that we introduced in the Federation of BiH in order to equalize certain things,” he said.
He emphasized that there must be a compromise between the Federation and the cantons, because the cantons expect the Federation to solve everything on its own, while the Federation expects the cantons to take part of the responsibility.
“Most of the talk is about maternity benefits, which are not equalized. We have made action plans and we hope to implement them,” he said.
Abuse of sick leave
Delić pointed out that the ministry often encounters misuse of sick leave, which directly affects the most vulnerable categories.
“A parent, carer or child cannot receive compensation if someone abuses sick leave,” he said.
He added that a distinction must be made between the private and public sectors.
“The rules are very different in the private sector. Employers don’t tolerate sick leave, sometimes they resign unjustly due to justified use of sick leave. Abuse is common in the public administration,” he said.
Budget of the ministry for 2026
Minister Delić said that the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy is already close to finalizing the budget for the next year.
“According to the first estimates, our budget will grow significantly, what has already been entered into the system implies an increase in the budget by more than 100 million convertible marks”, he said.
He emphasized that almost all the fees that the ministry has increased and will continue to increase in the next year, given that the bases that were fixed have been changed and certain adjustments are implied.
“If we take into account the growth of pensions, it is a huge budgetary intervention in the budget of the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, probably the largest when all other ministries are concerned,” he said.
He added that he always takes the position that one must earn money first, then invest and spend.
“I hope that all the measures we have taken will guarantee the growth of economic activity in the Federation of BiH and that we will then have the opportunity for those who are excluded, marginalized, left in the lurch, to receive better quality and better services for their lives,” he said.
The focus of the ministry’s work in 2026
The minister pointed out that the focus of the ministry in the coming year is the law on social services, which should go to the second round of reading in both houses of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He added that this law guarantees safety and stability to social service providers at the state level and that minimum standards should be prescribed.
“It is an essential reform in the field of social policy. I hope that we will find the strength, courage and political will to adopt it and have it applied from 2026,” he said.
Speaking about the Labor Law, he emphasized that it will be a topic in the coming months as well.
“I want us to reach the highest possible level of consensus and compromise when it comes to all social partners and to have one of the best labor laws in the region, why not in Europe,” he said.
He singled out the law on foster care, which is very important for children without parental care.
“In the territory of the Federation, this year we supported the opening of four foster care centers in cooperation with SOS Children’s Villages. We are changing the law to improve the foster care tool, to support foster families and to promote foster care at the state level,” he said.
He emphasized that every child should grow up in a family circle, feel the warmth of home and parental love.
Delić also mentioned the law on professional rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities, which aims to ensure their employment on the open labor market.
“We want people with disabilities to work in the ministry, not to be excluded in protective workshops. Work is the best social measure,” he said.
The state of employment in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The minister said that the number of unemployed people did not increase, but decreased this year.
“I hope that we will significantly reduce that number by adopting the law on mediation in employment and the security of unemployed persons,” he said.
He added that the law provides for the separation of records of active and passive job seekers, which will reduce the number of unemployed in the records.
Speaking about the number of employees, he said that when he was a reporter at the Federal Parliament, a month ago, there was no decrease compared to January 2025.
“We will not have official data for 2025 before January or February of the following year,” he said.
He reminded that December 2024 was the month with the largest number of employees in the past decades.
“I think there were about 10,000 new employees, which is a significant number,” he said.
He added that in 2025 employment growth slowed down, but that he expects growth trends to return in 2026.
“I expect that we will achieve a new record when it comes to the number of employees in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Minister Adnan Delić in an interview Radio Sarajevo.
