In October, 11.4 percent more unemployed than last year at the same time

At the end of October, there were 304,479 unemployed persons registered with the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ), which is 14,976 persons or 5.2 percent more than the previous month, and 31,214 persons or 11.4 percent more than in October last year.

The increase in unemployment is typical for this time of year due to the seasonal nature of tourism and related service activities, što confirms the fact that most of the newly registered unemployed persons came after the expiration of fixed-term employment contracts, and from sectors of seasonal nature and from tourist counties, notes HZZ. However, the growth of unemployment this year has slowed compared to last year, HZZ points out. The annual increase in the number of unemployed last year in August was 14.4 percent, while this year it is 12.9 percent; in September last year it was 16.6 percent, while this year it is 11.7 percent; and in October last year it was 19.6 percent, while this year it is 11.4 percent.

In October, 33,571 persons registered as unemployed, which is 14.6 percent more than the previous month, and 6.2 percent more than in October 2009. Directly from employment, 23,560 persons came, or 70.2 percent of the total number of newly registered unemployed persons. The highest number of new registrations came from the accommodation, food preparation and serving activities (7,553 or 27.8 percent), wholesale and retail trade (4,918 or 18.1 percent), manufacturing (3,481 or 12.8 percent), construction (2,172 or 8 percent), and administrative and support service activities (1,641 or 6 percent).

From the registered unemployment, 18,595 persons left, which is 19.6 percent less than the previous month and 6 percent more than in October last year. Due to employment (whether by employment contract, contract for work, or other forms of work), 9,737 persons left the register (52.4 percent), while others left for various reasons. From January to October this year, 125,274 unemployed persons were employed, which is 19,136 persons or 18 percent more than in the same period in 2009. Of these, 121,053 persons were employed based on employment contracts (18,443 persons or 18 percent more), and 4,221 persons based on other forms of work (registration of a company, craft, contract for work, etc.).

In the ten months of this year, 29,504 persons were employed in seasonal jobs in Croatia (24.4 percent of the total number of employed), što is 18.7 percent more compared to the same period last year. In October, the highest absolute number of unemployed was in the City of Zagreb (39,575 or 13 percent of the total number in Croatia), followed by Split-Dalmatia (37,674 or 12.4 percent) and Osijek-Baranja County (32,980 or 10.8 percent), while the lowest number of unemployed was in Lika-Senj County (3,220 or 1.1 percent).

Compared to September, unemployment increased in all counties, with the highest increase recorded in Istria (22.4 percent), Šibenik-Knin (12.3 percent), Zadar (10.9 percent), Primorje-Gorski Kotar (10.2 percent), Dubrovnik-Neretva (9.7 percent), Split-Dalmatia (7.7 percent), and Lika-Senj County (5.7 percent). Unemployment benefits were used by 70,416 persons or 23.1 percent of the total number of unemployed. The number of benefit recipients increased compared to the previous month by 883 persons or 1.3 percent, and compared to the same month last year by 1,719 persons or 2.5 percent. (H)