Last year, the most sought-after were salespeople, and the least were lawyers

Last year, over 56,000 resumes and more than 27,000 job postings for various positions were published on the MojPosao portal, with salespeople being the most sought-after and lawyers the least in demand.

The greatest disparity in supply and demand was recorded in the categories of ‘Healthcare and Beauty Care’, ‘Construction and Architecture’, ‘Education and Child Care’, ‘Law’, and ‘Design and Arts’, MojPosao announced today. As in the previous two years, the total supply and demand in 2008 was highest in the categories of ‘Trade, Sales, and Marketing’ (25.4 percent of ads and 18.8 percent of resumes) and ‘Economics’ (12.3 percent of ads and 17 percent of resumes). A significant increase in the labor market index was noted in the categories of ‘Personal Services’ and ‘Healthcare and Beauty Care’, which is a result of increased demand and a lack of supply for jobs such as nanny, hairdresser, physiotherapist, trainer, beautician, etc.

Job seekers in deficit categories had the best chances of finding employment, while the best balance between supply and demand was recorded in the category of ‘Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering’, which is also among the best-paid job categories. The category of ‘Tourism, Hospitality, and Food’, as one of the most important branches of the Croatian economy, recorded an increase in the index compared to 2007 and 2006, indicating that demand for seasonal workers continues to grow in Croatia. The highest index is reached from March to June when the highest demand for seasonal labor is recorded.

Last year, 690 ads contained an icon indicating that employers highlighted that persons with disabilities could equally compete for certain job positions, which is 71.6 percent more compared to 2007. For jobs where persons with disabilities can be employed, a secondary vocational education is mostly required (41 percent of ads), knowledge of the English language (50 percent), and computer skills (85 percent), while in 76 percent of cases, employers offer permanent employment. A total of 80 percent of ads were published for permanent employment, 27 percent for fixed-term work, 11 percent for freelance work, and eight percent for student jobs. The trend of increasing the number of ads offering permanent employment continued last year, with nine percent more compared to 2007.

On the other hand, still more job seekers (90 percent) indicate in their resumes that they are looking for permanent employment. As many as 31 percent of job seekers stated that they would also accept freelance work, which is a decrease compared to the previous three years. In 45 percent of ads, employers required a secondary vocational education, while 56 percent of job seekers indicated secondary education in their resumes. Interestingly, in 20 percent of ads, educational qualifications were not important. The most sought-after skill was active knowledge of the English language (45 percent of ads), while 79 percent of job seekers indicated active knowledge of that language in their resumes. In 72 percent of ads, employers set knowledge of computer skills as a condition for employment, and as many as 98 percent of job seekers indicated knowledge of computer skills in their resumes. Work experience was required in 41 percent of job postings, with 27 percent of employers seeking work experience of up to one year, 61 percent from two to four years, while 13 percent required experience of five years or more. (H)