Croatia is dealing with labour shortages, especially in construction and building trades, automotive and transportation services, culinary arts and food production, and information technology and software development.
According to the data published by the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ), the current number of unemployed people in Croatia is 112,251. On the other hand, the number of published job vacancies is 16,832.
The Croatian labour market policies, as outlined in a report by the European Commission, have been deemed ineffective in adequately addressing the needs and shortages within the labour market. According to the same report, labour shortages in the final quarter of 2022 have surpassed pre-pandemic levels across all sectors and exceeded the averages observed in Europe.
There is a lack of alignment between active labour market policies and persistent shortages in the Croatian labour market. High levels of skills mismatches reflect low employment chances for medium-skilled and especially low-skilled workers.
According to EURES, the sectors and respective professions listed below are among the most demanded in Croatia on a national level.
- Construction and building trades: including construction workers, fitters, painters and decorators, roofers, plumbers, electricians, civil engineering workers and more.
- Automotive and transportation services: truck drivers, semi-trailer truck drivers, car mechanics, car painters, and car bodyworkers.
- Culinary arts and food production: national cuisine chefs, butchers, bakers, and confectioners.
- Information technology and software development: software developers, user interface designers, and system administrators.
This implies that foreigners who belong to these professions have more chances to earn a Croatian visa. However, in order to get a Croatian Work Visa, foreigners must already have a Croatian job offer from an employer who is responsible for obtaining a work permit on your behalf.
However, before requesting a residence and work permit, employers in Croatia must first verify whether there is an opportunity to hire from Croatian labour.
According to MojaPlaca, the salaries in construction and real estate start from €740 (minimum salary) to €1,738 (the highest average salary), in transport, haulage and logistic sector salaries vary from €653 to €1,347, whereas the minimum and the highest salaries in the sector of agriculture and food industry start from €632 to €1,277.
The sectors of Technology, Development have better salaries to offer. According to the same source, the wages in these sectors are €843 to €3,018.
For 2023, the estimated minimum monthly net wage in Croatia is about €560, whereas the medium monthly net salary is estimated at €1150.
On the other hand, individuals with the following qualifications are surplus in the country, and thus, they are facing challenges in securing employment:
- photographers
- economists
- business secretaries
- administrative officers
- graphic arts technicians
- environmental technicians
- fashion design technicians
- tourism and hospitality operators
