One Third of Foreign Workers Say They Have a Better Quality of Life in Croatia

The Croatian Employers’ Association and the Institute for Migration Research held a conference today titled ‘Migration, Labor Market and Integration: Croatia Tomorrow‘, where the potential of multicultural teams in Croatian companies was discussed, and the first major research on foreign labor in Croatia was presented to employers and the public.

The results of the research on foreign workers in Croatia were presented by Dr. Iva Tadić from the Institute for Migration Research. This is the first large quantitative study on foreign workers from Asia and Africa in Croatia, conducted in collaboration with researchers from Bangladesh, the Philippines, India, and Nepal. The research was conducted during December 2024 and January 2025, combining online and field research. A total of 400 foreign workers participated in the study, primarily from the Philippines (38 percent), Nepal (26 percent), and India (20 percent), with the majority employed in transportation (22 percent), hospitality (19 percent), and construction (17 percent).

The main reason for coming to Croatia is cited as economic reasons, and nearly 90 percent of participants stated that they financially support their families in their countries of origin. Regarding future plans, 32 percent intend to stay in Croatia for up to 5 years, 23 percent between 6 and 10 years, 20 percent plan to stay until retirement, and 19 percent wish to remain in Croatia for the rest of their lives. The research showed that 55 percent of participants plan to relocate their families to Croatia.

Foreign workers are most satisfied with their health and least with their standard of living, and despite the obstacles they encountered, 34 percent of foreign workers believe that their quality of life has significantly improved after arriving in Croatia. The results of this research provided a unique insight into the socio-demographic profile of foreign workers in Croatia and their experiences of living in Croatia.

Conference participants were greeted by Sadmir Hošić, Vice President of the HUP Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, and Marina Perić Kaselj, Director of the Institute for Migration Research.

– Croatia has recently undergone various changes, and this phenomenon of a large number of foreign workers coming from distant countries greatly affects our environment. The state has already made some strides in the integration processes; we must continue to work together – not just as entrepreneurs but as a society as a whole to enable both foreign and domestic workers to have a better integration into the labor market – emphasized Hošić.

– It is crucial to establish an open dialogue as we strive to create an inclusive society. Croatia needs to develop a proactive migration policy that will prevent divisions and segregation and recognize that migration is not just a physical but also a deeply social process – it is not just workers who come, but people with their stories, families, and needs, and that is how we must approach them – added Perić Kaselj.

A panel followed on the topic of the synergy of diversity and how the collaboration of domestic and foreign workers enhances the productivity and innovation of Croatian companies. Participants included Sara Drobac from Infobip, Ana Marčinko from the Jesuit Refugee Service, Jasna Pipunić from the Economic Union, and Ivan Balabanić from the Institute for Migration Research.

On the panel about foreign and domestic workers, as the labor and new strength of society, experiences were shared by Sadmir Hošić from Textile Care Services and Vice President of the HUP Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, Wafa Kharroubi from W.A.F.A. services for schools and the public sector, Bojan Stanimirovikj and Barbara Olenik Staničić from Jadran, and Dario Ćorić from the Croatian Employers’ Association.

The conference was organized as part of the Recruit4Tomorrow project, in which the Croatian Employers’ Association collaborates with employer associations from Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria. The project was presented by Dubravko Ćuk, Director of Sectoral Associations at HUP. It is a unique collaboration in which employer associations from several different countries address the common theme of employing foreign labor in European Union countries through cooperation and mutual comparison of experiences. The project’s goals are to conduct a detailed study of the labor market in the participating countries and to explore areas where labor market needs can be met by employing citizens from third countries.