Croatia Jobless Rate Steady at 3.4%

Croatia’s registered unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.4% for the third consecutive month. The number of unemployed persons declined 1% month-on-month to 62.6 thousand, while total employment edged down 0.6% to 1.767 million. The labor force also decreased 0.6% to 1.829 million. Meanwhile, paid employment in legal entities fell 0.1% to 1.518 million, while employment in crafts, trades, and freelances dropped 3.5% to 231.8 thousand, and employment among private farmers edged down 0.2% to 17.2 thousand. Compared with September 2025, the labor market remained weaker overall, with the labor force down 1.4% and total employment declining 0.8%, while paid employment in legal entities fell 1.1%. Over the same period, the number of registered unemployed persons dropped 16%.

Croatia’s registered unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.4% from the previous month. The number of unemployed persons increased 1.8% month-on-month to 63.2 thousand, while total employment edged up 0.6% to 1.777 million. The labor force also increased 0.7% to 1.840 million. Meanwhile, paid employment in legal entities rose 0.8% to 1.520 million. Conversely, employment in crafts, trades, and freelance activities fell 0.3% to 240.2 thousand, while employment among private farmers dropped 0.4% to 17.3 thousand. Compared to August 2025, the labor market remained weaker overall, with the labor force down 1.7% and total employment declining 1.1%, while paid employment in legal entities fell 1.5%. Over the same period, the registered unemployment fell further by 16.3%.

Croatia’s registered unemployment rate edged up to 3.4% in July 2026 from the record low of 3.3% in the previous month. The number of unemployed persons increased 4.4% month-on-month to 62.1 thousand, while total employment rose 0.6% to 1.766 million. The labor force also expanded 0.7% to 1.828 million. Paid employment in legal entities increased 0.5% to 1.508 million, and employment in crafts, trades, and freelance activities climbed 1.5% to 241.0 thousand. Meanwhile, the number of employed private farmers slipped 0.3% to 17.3 thousand. Compared with July 2025, the labor market remained weaker overall, with the labor force down 2.3%, total employment declining 1.8%, paid employment in legal entities falling 2.2%, and registered unemployment dropping 15.2%, indicating that despite the slight monthly increase in unemployment, joblessness remained well below year-earlier levels amid a smaller labor force.