Croatia’s registered unemployment rate inched up to 3.4% in July 2026, from a record low of 3.3% in June. The number of unemployed persons rose 4.4% month-on-month to 62.1 thousand, while total employment increased 0.6% to 1.766 million. The labor force expanded by 0.7% to 1.828 million. Paid employment in legal entities grew 0.5% to 1.508 million, and employment in crafts, trades, and freelance activities rose 1.5% to 241.0 thousand. By contrast, the number of employed private farmers edged down 0.3% to 17.3 thousand.
On a year-on-year basis, however, the labor market was weaker overall compared with July 2025. The labor force was 2.3% smaller, total employment declined by 1.8%, and paid employment in legal entities fell 2.2%. Registered unemployment was down 15.2%, indicating that, despite the slight monthly uptick in joblessness, unemployment remained well below year-earlier levels, in part due to the reduced size of the labor force.
