2026.01.2010:18:19UTC+00Croatia Jobless Rate Highest in 8 Months

In December 2025, Croatia's unemployment rate increased to 4.6%, edging up from 4.5% the previous month, and reaching its highest level since April. The number of unemployed individuals rose by 1.9% on a monthly basis, hitting a nine-month peak of 82,600. Simultaneously, total employment decreased by 1.0% to 1.72 million, while the labor force slightly contracted by 0.9% to 1.80 million. Employment within legal entities saw a 1.0% decline, largely due to reductions in the accommodation and food service sector (-4.0%), as well as in agriculture, forestry, and fishing (-1.3%), construction (-1.3%), and manufacturing (-1.2%). Conversely, there was a modest increase in employment in the information and communication sector (0.1%) and in human health and social work activities (0.2%). For context, the unemployment rate was higher a year earlier, at 5.0% in December 2024.