ZAGREB, October 18, 2019 - A total of 1.678 million people were gainfully employed in Croatia in the second quarter of 2019, about 7,000 more than at the same time in 2018, while the number of the unemployed declined by 28,000 to 108,000, bringing the survey unemployment rate down to 6.1%, a labour force survey carried out by the National Bureau of Statistics (DZS) shows.

The survey found that 1.678 million people in Croatia were in work in the second quarter of this year, which is 17,000 or slightly over 1% more than in the previous quarter. Compared with the second quarter of 2018, the number of persons employed was higher by about 7,000 or 0.4%.

The number of people out of work fell by 20.6% both quarter on quarter and year on year. According to the survey, 108,000 people were unemployed in the second quarter of 2019, while the number of jobless people in the second quarter of 2018 was 136,000.

As a result, the survey unemployment rate, as a percentage of unemployed people in the total active population, fell to 6.1%, down by 1.4 percentage points year on year and by 1.5 percentage points month on month. It was 7.5% in the second quarter of 2018 and 7.6% in the first quarter of 2019.

In the second quarter of this year, 1.786 million people were economically active, which is 11,000 persons or 0.6% fewer than in the previous quarter. Year on year, their number fell by 21,000 or 1.2%.

The number of inactive population increased both month on month and year on year. In the second quarter of this year, 1.734 million people were economically inactive, which is 8,000 persons more than in the first quarter this year and 9,000 more than in the second quarter last year.

In the second quarter of 2019, there were 3.520 million working-age people (aged 15 and over) in Croatia, down by 3,000 from the previous quarter and by 13,000 from the second quarter last year.

Commenting on initial data from the labour force survey released earlier this month, analysts at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) said that the present number of working-age people was lowest since 2001.

Reflecting negative demographic and emigration trends, the number of working-age population has been decreasing steadily for the last 40 quarters, they noted.

This also affected the activity rate, a percentage of active persons in the working-age population, which fell to 50.7% in the second quarter of this year, decreasing by 0.3 percentage points from the previous quarter and by 0.5 percentage points from the second quarter last year.

The employment rate, a proportion of employed persons in the working-age population, was 47.7% between April and June this year, an increase of 0.5 percentage points quarter on quarter and of 0.4 percentage points year on year.

More employment news can be found in the Business section.

ZAGREB, July 18, 2019 - Croatia's survey unemployment rate stood at 7.6% in the first quarter of 2019, decreasing by 2.7 percentage points from the same period in 2018 and by 1 percentage point from the previous quarter, a labour force survey carried out by the National Bureau of Statistics (DZS) shows.

A comparison with data provided by the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) and other administrative sources shows that the survey unemployment rate was 2.4 percentage points lower than the "administrative" rate, which was 10% in Q1.

It also showed that of 136,000 persons out of work according to the labour force survey, 103,000 or 76.2% were registered with the HZZ, while 23.8% were not. At the same time, of 154,000 jobless persons registered with the HZZ, 51,000 or 32.7% did not meet the international unemployment criteria.

According to the survey, 1.66 million Croatians were out of work in the first quarter of 2019, an increase of about 17,000 on the previous quarter and of 45,000 on the first quarter of 2018.

The employment rate, which shows the proportion of gainfully employed persons in the working-age population, was 47.2% in the first quarter of this year, up from 46.6% in the fourth quarter of 2018 and from 45.7% in the first quarter of 2018.

The survey showed that the number of working-age people, aged 15 and above, in the first quarter of 2019 was 3.52 million, of whom 1.79 million were active (employed and unemployed) and 1.73 million inactive.

The activity rate, which shows the proportion of economically active people in the working age population, was 51% in the first quarter of 2019, the same as in the previous quarter and in the first quarter of last year.

More news about unemployment in Croatia can be found in the Business section.

ZAGREB, May 6, 2019 - A workforce survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (DZS) shows that the number of gainfully employed people in Croatia continued to grow, while the unemployment rate declined to 8.4 percent in 2018.

Last year, 1.655 million people in Croatia were employed, an increase of 30,000 from 2017. Figures for the past four years show that their number rose from 1.585 million in 2015 to 1.59 million in 2016 to 1.625 million in 2017.

The employment rate, as a percentage of employed persons in the total working-age population, was 46.9 percent in 2018, up 1.1 percentage point from 2017. Compared with 2016 and 2015, it increased by 2.3 and 2.7 percentage points respectively.

The survey, which follows the methodology used by Eurostat and the International Labour Organisation, also revealed a decline in the number of unemployed persons and the unemployment rate.

Last year, 152,000 people in Croatia were out of work, down from 306,000 in 2015, 240,000 in 2016 and 205,000 in 2017. The unemployment rate, as a percentage of unemployed persons in the active population, fell from 16.2 percent in 2015 to 13.1 percent in 2016 to 11.2 percent in 2017 and to 8.4 percent in 2018.

Last time the unemployment rate was below 10 percent was in 2009, when it stood at 8 percent, while the highest unemployment rate, of 17.3 percent, was recorded in 2013 and 2014.

Analysts say that the decline in the average unemployment rate in recent years is due to a decline in the number of unemployed persons as well as to a decline in the active population and working-age population.

The size of the active population decreased to 1.807 million in 2018 from 1.83 million in 2017 and 2016. Compared with 2015, when it was 1.891 million, their number shrank by 84,000.

The activity rate, as a percentage of the active population (workforce) in the working-age population, was 51.2 percent in 2018, down by 0.4 percentage points from 2017 and by 1.5 percentage points from 2015.

The decrease in the activity rate was due to an ongoing fall in the working-age population, contracting by 56,000, from 3.587 million in 2015 to 3.531 million in 2018.

The working-age population has been decreasing for the last nine years, with analysts warning that Croatia, like other European countries, is experiencing the process of demographic ageing coupled with emigration of the most productive section of the working-age population.

More unemployment news can be found in the Business section.

ZAGREB, April 23 (Hina) - There were 1.38 million employed persons in Croatia at the end of March 2019, which is 0.6% more than at the end of February, while the registered unemployment rate dropped from 10.2% to 9.5%, show figures from the national statistical office (DZS).

According to DZS statistics, there were 1,384,227 employed persons at the end of March, 8,643 more than at the end of February.

Most of the employed persons, 1,181,459, worked in legal entities, an increase of 6,083 or 0.5% compared to the previous month.

According to the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ), there were 145,801 job-seekers at the end of March, a decrease of 6.8% or 10,577 fewer job-seekers than in the previous month and an 18.1% decline compared to March 2018.

The registered unemployment rate, which is the ratio of unemployed persons to the labour force, thus dropped to 9.5% while at the end of February it was 10.2%.

More unemployment news can be found in the Business section.

ZAGREB, March 6, 2019 - The most frequent obstacle on the labour market in Croatia concerns discrimination against women based on age and motherhood, women account for 58% of the unemployed persons, 62% of men are aware that their status at work is more privileged than that of women, while in terms of the pay gap, Croatia is above the EU average, it was said at a conference on gender equality at work in Zagreb on Wednesday.

"When we consider the overall situation in Croatia, we can say that we are better than the EU average with regard to the employment of women and the gender pay gap. The average gender pay gap in the EU is 16-17% while in Croatia it ranges between 8 and 10%," Labour and Pension System Minister Marko Pavić said at the conference, organised by IKEA and the European Parliament Office in Croatia.

The Labour and Pension System Ministry has 14 billion kuna at its disposal from the European Social Fund and the ministry's biggest project is a project for the employment of women.

So far, 6,000 women with an unfavourable labour market status have found employment as part of the ministry programme "Make a wish". Significant funds have also been invested in supporting a directive on work-life balance, said Pavić.

Swedish Ambassador Diana Helen Madunić said that the Swedish government, together with Swedish companies, had defined a policy of promoting sustainable business and gender equality which, among other things, also refers to a gender balance on management boards and a balanced parental leave for women and men.

We believe that sustainability and gender equality are key to business success. Women account for 50% of the world's population and we have to involve them and use their resources and abilities to create successful business for the future, said Madunić.

Croatian Gender Equality Ombudswoman Višnja Ljubičić said the majority of complaints her office received referred to gender discrimination and that more than two in three women who approached the office complained about gender discrimination.

"The obstacles they report primarily concern the labour market, 45-60% of the complaints refer to that. The most frequent obstacle women encounter on the labour market is discrimination based on age and motherhood," Ljubičić said.

More news on the status of women in Croatia can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 1, 2019 - The European Union unemployment rate in January dropped to its lowest level since Eurostat started tracking monthly data, and Croatia's unemployment rate also decreased slightly and was below the eurozone average for the third consecutive month, according to figures released by the EU's statistical office Eurostat on Friday.

The EU28 seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.5% in January 2019, down from 6.6% in December 2018 and from 7.2% in January 2018, this being the lowest rate since October 2008, Eurostat said.

Eurostat estimates that 16.222 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 12.848 million in the euro area, were unemployed in January 2019. This is a decrease of 56,000 in the EU and 23,000 in the euro area compared with December 2018.

Compared with January 2018, unemployment fell by 1.536 million in the EU28 and by 1.233 million in the euro area.

The unemployment rate in Croatia in January this year was 7.6% or 0.1 percentage points less on the month.

There were 136,000 people out work in Croatia in January, which is 2,000 fewer than in December and a decrease of 35,000 on the year.

In January 2019, the unemployment rate of young persons (under 25) was 14.9% m-on-m in the EU28, Eurostat reported.

The youth unemployment rate in the euro area remained at 16.5%.

In January 2019, 3.375 million young persons were unemployed in the EU28, of whom 2.383 million were in the euro area.

Compared with January 2018, youth unemployment decreased by 184,000 in the EU28 and by 141,000 in the euro area.

Croatia doesn't keep monthly data on youth unemployment. The average youth unemployment rate increased in the last quarter of 2018 from 22.7% to 23%, Eurostat said.

More news on the unemployment in Croatia can be found in the Business section.

ZAGREB, February 1, 2019 - The EU28 unemployment rate in December 2018 remained the lowest rate recorded since the start of the European Union monthly unemployment series in January 2000, while unemployment in Croatia it mildly decreased and was again lower than the euro area average, according to Eurostat.

The EU28 unemployment rate was 6.6% in December 2018, stable compared with November 2018 and down from 7.2% in December 2017.

The euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 7.9% in December 2018, stable compared with November 2018 and down from 8.6% in December 2017. This remains the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since October 2008.

Eurostat estimates that 16.306 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 12.919 million in the euro area, were unemployed in December 2018. Compared with November 2018, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 75,000 in both the EU28 and the euro area. Compared with December 2017, unemployment fell by 1.533 million in the EU28 and by 1.174 million in the euro area.

Among the member states, the lowest unemployment rates in December 2018 were recorded in Czechia (2.1%), Germany (3.3%), Poland (3.5%) and the Netherlands (3.6%). The highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (18.6% in October 2018), Spain (14.3%) and Italy (10.3%).

In Croatia, the unemployment rate in December 2018 was 7.7%, down 0.1 percentage points on the month. It was lower than the euro area average for the second month running. Eurostat estimates that 137,000 Croatians were unemployed, 3,000 fewer than in November 2018 and 39,000 fewer than in December 2017.

Croatia was again among the member states with the largest unemployment decreases year on year, by 2 pp. The largest decrease was recorded in Greece, by 2.4 pp.

In December 2018, 3.365 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU28, of whom 2.391 million were in the euro area. Compared with December 2017, youth unemployment decreased by 249,000 in the EU28 and by 141,000 in the euro area. In December 2018, the youth unemployment rate was 14.9% in the EU28 and 16.6% in the euro area, compared with 16.1% and 17.8% respectively in December 2017.

In December 2018, the lowest rates were observed in Czechia (5.8%), Germany (6.0%) and the Netherlands (6.6%), while the highest were recorded in Greece (38.5% in October 2018), Spain (32.7%) and Italy (31.9%).

In Croatia, youth unemployment in the last quarter of 2018 was 22.7%, down 1.2 pp on Q3, with 33,000 young Croats out of work, 3,000 fewer than in Q3.

More news on unemployment in Croatia can be found in the Business section.

ZAGREB, October 26, 2018 - Croatian employment and unemployment fall. At the end of September, there were 1.43 million people in work in Croatia, which is 0.9 percent or 12,911 fewer than at the end of August, while the unemployment rate fell to a new record low of 8.4 percent, the latest data from the national statistical office shows.

ZAGREB, June 1, 2018 - Croatia's unemployment rate fell again in April for the sixth consecutive month and the country recorded one of the biggest annual decreases in unemployment in the European Union, the European statistical office Eurostat reported on Friday.

ZAGREB, April 5, 2018 - The EU28 unemployment rate in February 2018 was down on the month and on the year, and similar trends were recorded in Croatia, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU, which once again put Croatia in a group of countries with the biggest drop in the unemployment rate on the year.