The labor force in Novi Sad is generally highly educated, with a good professional knowledge and a good command of foreign languages as well as the competitive costs.

                                                                                                                                              Source: The Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia

                                                                                                                                                 Source: The Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia

The average salary paid in the period January-December 2025 amounted to 174.469,00 while the average salary paid without taxes and contributions in the same period amounted to 126.469,00 RSD.

The total number of unemployed persons at the end of 2025 amounted to 7.946. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                               Source: National Employment Service

THE UNIVERSITY OF NOVI SAD

University of Novi Sad organizes and conducts academic and vocational studies of different levels and constantly works on advancing of the education system. This process is greatly facilitated by its excellent cooperation with the international university centers. In 2010 The University of Novi Sad celebrated half a century of its existence. The University of Novi Sad is the second largest university center in Serbia, comprising 14 faculties, with 9 faculties seated in Novi Sad:

• Faculty of Philosophy;
• Faculty of Agriculture;
• Faculty of Technology;
• Faculty of Law;
• Faculty of Technical Sciences;
• Faculty of Sciences;
• Faculty of Sport and Physical Education;
• Faculty of Medicine;
• Academy of Arts;
• Department of the Faculty of Economics (The Faculty is seated in Subotica).

The total number of students in academic year 2024/2025. is 48.316. 

For more information, please visit the website of the University of Novi Sad: http://www.uns.ac.rs/index.php/en/

COLLEGES OF VOCATIONAL STUDIES

Higher education in vocational studies in Novi Sad is carried out in three colleges of vocational studies: College of Technical Vocational Studies in Novi Sad, College of Business Vocational Studies in Novi Sad and Preschool Teacher Training College in Novi Sad.

SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The network of secondary schools consists of four grammar schools, eight vocational schools (school of agriculture, school of mechanical engineering, school of eletrical engineering, two secondary technical schools, school of transport, medical school and school of economics), three schools for art education (music school, ballet school and school of design) and one school for children with disabilities. The secondary schools, according to the data at the start of 2025/2026 school year, are attended by 15,722 students.

PRIMARY SCHOOLS

There are 34 regular elementary schools for education of students between the first and eigth grade, there are three art schools for children of the elementary school age (two music schools and one ballet school), school for children with disabilities, school for elementary education of adults and the program for seventh-grade and eighth-grade elementary school students who are talented at mathematics. In the 2025/2026 academic year, there are 32,054 students in elementary schools.

SITUATION ON THE LABOR MARKET ON THE TERRITORY OF THE CITY

(EXCERPT FROM THE ACTION PLAN OF EMPLOYMENT OF THE CITY OF NOVI SAD FOR 2026, the entire document in “ The Official Journal of the City of Novi Sad", No. 6/2026)

The number of unemployed within the registry of the Novi Sad National Employment Service, on December 31st 2025 was 7.946. Compared to December 2024, the number of unemployed persons in the territory of the City decreased by 8.28%.

Deficient occupations are: computer science graduates, programmers of all profiles, mathematics graduates / information technologies graduates, electrical engineering graduates / computational science engineers, i. e. all profiles with software application profession,  graduate pharmacists with a professional exam, graduate defectologists, social workers and geodetic engineers, specialist doctors, mechanical and electrical engineers, teachers of mathematics and physics, welders, butchers, hairdressers, certified accountants, cooks, rebar fixers, carpenters, electricians, electrical installers.

Surplus occupations are: legal, agricultural and economic technicians, grammar school graduates, law graduates, tourism graduates, tourism technicians, cultural professions, chemical technicians, teachers of Serbian language and literature, classroom teachers.

Within the city territory, on December 31st 2025, the largest number of people is with level 4 qualifications – 2.172, with level 3 qualifications – 1.113, as well as with level 7.1 qualifications – 1.173. The number of persons on the register who have been waiting for a job for more than 24 months is 3.623 persons, which is 45.6% of the total number registered in the City.

The analysis of labor market trends indicates the need to intensify activities in order to improve the position of the categories of hard-to-employ persons.

The aim of the City's employment policy is to establish a stable and sustainable trend of employment growth through creation of new jobs, entrepreneurship development measures, and youth employment support. In addition to the National Employment Service, the City Administration for Economy performs employment-related tasks on the territory of the City.

In accordance with the Law, and at the proposal of the Employment Council, the Mayor adopted the Programs of active employment policy of the City of Novi Sad for 2007, 2008 and 2009, and for the period 2010 - 2025 Employment Action Plans. In the period from 2010 to 2025, the City allocated a total of RSD 2.353.521.690,00 for the implementation of active employment policy measures, for the employment of 5.605 persons and for the training of 5.987 persons. Of these, 382 persons were employed in 2025 (of which 61 persons were on professional training practice).

* The data are taken from the Employment Action Plan of the City of Novi Sad for 2026(you can download the entire document at the link: https://skupstina.novisad.rs/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sl-6-2026.pdf or in “The Official Journal of the City of Novi Sad", No. 6/2026).