When asked how many Croats, as well as workers from the region, are willing to relocate abroad for work, workers from North Macedonia (55 percent) and Serbia (54 percent) are the most willing to move for work, while respondents from Slovenia (33 percent) and Croatia (38 percent) are somewhat more reserved, according to a survey by the portal MojPosao. The survey included over 6,600 respondents from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia, and North Macedonia. European countries remain the most attractive destinations for relocation for the majority of respondents, but an interesting fact is that 45 percent of workers from Slovenia consider moving to one of the neighboring countries, a trend followed by 40 percent of workers from North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as 27 percent of Croats and 26 percent of Serbs.
When it comes to European countries (outside the region), as many as 87 percent of Croats choose this option, and similar views are present among respondents from Bosnia and Herzegovina (66 percent) and North Macedonia (64 percent). Moving outside of Europe is not particularly attractive to workers from Croatia, as only 21 percent of respondents are open to this possibility, which is comparable to the views of workers from Slovenia (22 percent) and Serbia (21 percent). The idea of moving is even less popular among respondents from North Macedonia (17 percent) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (16 percent). Regarding relocation within the region, Croats most often choose Slovenia (90 percent), while other options are significantly less represented – Bosnia and Herzegovina (13 percent), Serbia (10 percent), Montenegro (3 percent), North Macedonia, and Albania (1 percent each).
Workers from Serbia would most like to work in Slovenia, Slovenians in Croatia, while workers from North Macedonia find both Croatia and Slovenia equally attractive. Regardless of their country of origin, respondents agree – higher wages, better working and living conditions, professional development, and social security are the main reasons for relocation. Interestingly, workers from Bosnia and Herzegovina place particular importance on political stability, which is not the case for workers from other countries. The majority of Croatian workers see relocation as a temporary move. Specifically, 28 percent would work abroad for less than a year, 18 percent would stay for one to three years, and 19 percent of respondents would remain ‘abroad’ for three to five years. Only 17 percent of respondents are willing to stay permanently, while this figure is highest among workers from Bosnia and Herzegovina (50 percent) and North Macedonia (37 percent).
