According to data from the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) as of December 31, 2012, there are 745 unemployed journalists and five editors registered on the job market. This figure is concerning for the journalism profession, as well as the fact that journalists are among those unemployed who find it hardest to secure new employment, it was stated last night at the Croatian Journalists’ Society (HND) forum ‘Journalists on the Job Market’.
This is a threefold increase compared to 2008, when 229 journalists were registered with the Employment Service, highlighted journalist and forum moderator Melisa Skender. Compared to 2011, last year 116 journalists were registered with the HZZ, which is double the number compared to 2009 and 2010 when 67 unemployed journalists were registered. Of the total number of unemployed journalists, 211 have no journalistic experience, Skender said.
The majority of unemployed journalists have a higher education degree, with 150 having a secondary education who worked as journalists. According to regional distribution, the highest number of unemployed journalists is in Zagreb, followed by Split-Dalmatia County and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. The largest number of unemployed journalists are those aged 25 to 29, but this age group is also the most employed.
Marijana Grbeša, head of the Journalism Department at the Faculty of Political Science, assessed that the enrollment quotas for journalism are not aligned with the needs of the labor market.
Psychologist Ivana Sabol emphasized that journalism is a profession in which, due to the many acquired skills and experiences, it is easy to undergo retraining, after which one can seek employment in other professions.
