Where the jobs are in European countries

The latest EU-wide overview of shortages – the EURES report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025 (European Labour Authority, June 2026) – lists for Croatia mainly skilled trades:

• construction – bricklayers, roofers, floor layers and tile setters, insulation workers, painters, concrete workers, building construction labourers, crane operators,
• installation and repair – plumbers and pipe fitters, electrical mechanics and fitters, air-conditioning and refrigeration mechanics, motor vehicle mechanics, agricultural and industrial machinery mechanics, electronics servicers,
• metalworking – welders and flame cutters, sheet metal workers, structural metal workers, machine tool setters and operators,
• technicians and IT – electrical and electronics engineering technicians, web and multimedia developers.

Tourism hires seasonal staff every year: the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) runs a separate portal for seasonal jobs – bartenders, waiters, chefs, receptionists and room attendants, mostly in towns on the Adriatic coast.

For graduates, the list points to IT and engineering technology. HZZ also keeps a list of occupations for which employers do not need a labour market test when they hire non-EU workers.