ZAGREB, 3 Jan 2022 - The EIZ Online Vacancy Index (OVI) has shown that labor demand in 2021 was up 5.5% compared to the pre-pandemic year 2019 and the positive trend continued in December with labor demand up by 32% year on year, the Institute of Economics, Zagreb (EIZ) reported on Monday.

"Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the calendar year has ended with good news because the latest OVI index has shown a continuing positive image of the labor market," EIZ said on its website.

The OVI index for December 2021 shows that labor demand in 2021 was 75% higher than for data related to December 2020 and 32% higher compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019. This is the eighth month in a row in which labor demand has exceeded pre-pandemic months.

Labor demand in 2021 was 5.5% higher than it was in 2019 while the OVI index was 48% higher in 2021 compared to 2020.

EIZ reported that positive trends are also visible quarter on quarter with the OVI index for the fourth quarter of 2021 is as much as 60% higher than in Q4, 2020 and 20% higher compared with 2019 Q4.

The most sought-after workers were salespeople, cooks, waiters, warehouse workers, and drivers while 46 percent of advertisements were for fixed-term employment and 44 percent for permanent employment. In 2021, 1.6% of the jobs advertised offered the opportunity of working from home which is a significant increase compared to 2019. Prior to the pandemic, a mere 0.1% provided that option.

In addition, 2.6% of job advertisements in 2021 were for pensioners, up 1.2% from 2020 and 0.6% from 2019, EIZ analysts reported.

OVI is a monthly index of online job advertisements developed by EIZ in cooperation with the MojPosao job search website. The index aims to provide timely information on current labor demand.

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ZAGREB, 6 Sept 2021 - Labor demand in Croatia has exceeded its pre-pandemic levels for the fourth month in a row, the Online Vacancy Index (OVI) of the Zagreb Institute of Economics (EIZ) for August 2021 shows.

"OVI’s latest values are in line with other positive economic indicators published in the last few weeks. Labor demand has exceeded its 2020 and 2019 levels – OVI for August 2021 shows that labor demand is 60 percent higher than in August 2020, and around 20 percent higher compared to the pre-pandemic August of 2019," EIZ said.

"When comparing labor demand levels in 2021 and 2019, this is the fourth consecutive month in which labor demand is higher than in the pre-pandemic months, which is a strong indicator of labor market recovery.

"Demand for the three traditionally most sought-after occupations – salesperson, waiter, and cook – is also higher compared to August 2019 and 2020, with drivers and construction workers also high in demand. Interestingly, the share of job advertisements mentioning working from home has risen to about 1.5 to 2 percent since the beginning of the pandemic, while before the pandemic working from home was mentioned in less than 0.25 percent of job advertisements," EIZ said.

OVI is a monthly index of online job advertisements developed by the EIZ in cooperation with the MojPosao job search website. It aims to provide timely information on current labor demand.

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