At the end of May this year, the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) recorded 88,327 unemployed individuals, which is 9,431 persons or 9.6 percent less than in May 2023, marking the lowest number of unemployed recorded at HZZ since the establishment of the Croatian state.
Compared to April of this year, the number of unemployed decreased by 10.6 percent or 10,493 persons, as reported by HZZ.
This continues to demonstrate strong demand for labor in the domestic labor market, primarily due to the tourist season, as indicated by HZZ data showing that in May, the highest number of exits from the unemployment register was due to employment based on labor relations in accommodation services, food preparation, and serving – 3,363 persons or 24.1 percent of the total.
According to daily data from HZZ, there are currently 84,324 unemployed registered at the Employment Service, with 21,104 job vacancies advertised.
During May, 8,318 persons were newly registered in the HZZ unemployment records, which is 16.7 percent less than in May last year. Of these, 77.4 percent or 6,442 persons came directly from employment. Additionally, 1,714 persons (20.6 percent) entered the unemployment records from inactivity, and 162 persons (two percent) from regular schooling.
According to HZZ data, 18,811 persons exited the unemployment records, which is seven percent more than in May 2023. Of these, 14,931 persons were employed, with 13,974 persons (93.6 percent) based on establishing labor relations and 957 persons (6.4 percent) based on other business activities.
Recorded employment based on labor relations was most frequently realized in accommodation services, food preparation, and serving – 3,363 persons or 24.1 percent. This was followed by wholesale and retail trade with 1,849 persons or 13.2 percent, public administration and defense with 1,375 persons or 9.8 percent, and the manufacturing industry with 1,187 persons or 8.5 percent.
In May, 3,880 persons exited the unemployment records for other reasons in accordance with the law, such as leaving the labor force (retirement, enrollment in regular schooling), non-compliance with legal provisions (not actively seeking work, unavailable for work), deregistration from the records, etc.
Among the counties, the leading employment was in Split-Dalmatia County with 2,953 persons or 21.1 percent of the total number of employed based on labor relations. This was followed by Osijek-Baranja County (1,503 persons or 10.8 percent), the City of Zagreb (1,072 persons or 7.7 percent), and Vukovar-Srijem County (1,021 persons or 7.3 percent).
The highest absolute number of registered unemployed persons was recorded in Split-Dalmatia County with 14,842 (16.8 percent of the total in Croatia), Osijek-Baranja County (12,051 or 13.6 percent), and the City of Zagreb (10,313 or 11.7 percent), while the lowest was in Lika-Senj County (1,009 or 1.1 percent).
In May of this year, 14,927 persons or 16.9 percent of the total number of unemployed were receiving cash benefits. The number of cash benefit recipients decreased compared to the same month in 2023 by 15.8 percent or 2,803 persons.
