Croatia : Job market

What are my chances of getting a job?

Croatian employers are willing to recruit foreigners but in order to do so they must justify why they have chosen a foreign worker over a national employee. It therefore needs to be evident that the foreign citizen has skills or knowledge not available from national citizens.

The Croatian Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship  sets annual quotas of work permits for foreigners meaning a limited amount can be employed each year. The quotas are divided into categories, e.g. healthcare, science and education, manufacturing, etc. and once the quota for that category has been filled, no more foreign employees can be recruited for that year. All of this can make it difficult for UK citizens to find work.

• Typical problems encountered: there is a high standard of education in Croatia meaning competition from home graduates can be fierce. Croatia also has a high unemployment rate.
• How to improve your chances: experience in one of the key areas, such as tourism, may help UK citizens gain employment. Specialist skills in areas such as teaching, which may be lacking in nationals of Croatia, may also be helpful.
• Language requirements: employees are usually expected to have a good knowledge of Croatian. Jobs are available for those who only speak English but competition for these roles will be higher and chances will be significantly increased if the employee can speak Croatian.

Where can I work?

• Major industries: tourism (making up approximately 60% of the GDP), industry and manufacturing, e.g. chemicals, plastics, steel products, etc. and ship building.
• Recent growth areas: real estate and export. 
• Shortage occupations: architects, civil engineers, doctors, foreign language teachers, IT engineers, maths teachers, mechanical engineers and physics teachers.
• Major companies: Adria-Mar, Auto Hrvatska, Belupo, Bluesun Hotels, DM Drogerie Markt, Holcim, iN2, Orvas Plus, Orbico, Puljanka.
• Search for more companies: Kompass , a worldwide business directory searchable by country, Croatian Chamber of Economy , Croatian Homepage Business Directory .
• Major cities: Zagreb (capital and largest), Dubrovnik, Osijek, Pula, Rijeka, Split, Zadar.

What’s it like working in Croatia?

• Average working hours: 40 hours over a 5 to 6 day week. 
• Holidays: the minimum amount of annual leave is 18 days. Croatians typically take long holidays in July and August although this is becoming less common as international businesses establish themselves in Croatia.   
• Tax rates: the rate of tax in Croatia is dependent on the amount of earnings and ranges from 15% to 45%. It is amongst the highest rates of tax in Europe. There is also a city surtax for tax payers which varies depending on income and region and ranges from 10% to 30%. 
• Working practices and customs: very similar to the UK and rest of Europe, with no notable differences in business etiquette.