ZAGREB, 19 March (Hina) – A growing shortage of workers, particularly skilled labour, is increasing the need for closer links between education and business and greater investment in skills aligned with labour market needs, a study by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) showed on Thursday.
The findings were presented at the fourth EDUkarijera conference.
Jagoda Divić of the HGK said 76% of employers were seeking workers, while 65% faced a shortage of suitable candidates. “We are no longer talking only about a labour shortage, but about a shortage of skills that the market demands. That is why it is crucial to strengthen the links between the education system and business and focus on developing future skills.”
The study showed the highest demand for workers in manufacturing, wholesale and retail, administration, and logistics and warehousing.
Employers said it was hardest to find workers with vocational qualifications, as well as highly educated and low-skilled staff. According to the survey, 72% of employers provide internal training, while 13% do not invest in skills development at all, further complicating labour market adjustment.
Foreign labour is becoming an increasingly important part of the domestic workforce, the study showed. Currently, 29% of employers hire workers from third countries, while 8% plan to do so in the future. Most are vocationally trained (72%), while 24% of employers also hire highly educated foreign workers. Employers said learning Croatian was key to successful integration.
Over the past five years, 41% of citizens have changed jobs at least once, most often due to dissatisfaction with pay, poor workplace relations, excessive workloads and limited career progression. Women more often cited poor workplace relations, while men more frequently pointed to financial conditions.
Also, 43% of citizens said inadequate pay was the main obstacle to finding a job.
Differences were also evident in perceptions of an attractive employer. Citizens prioritised job security, good pay, bonuses and work-life balance, while employers highlighted teamwork, learning opportunities and job security as their main strengths.
The study showed that only 14% of employers actively use artificial intelligence, while 71% plan to adopt it in the future.
A panel discussion at the conference concluded that the main challenge is not technology itself, but developing employee competencies to enable its effective use.
Davor Anilčić of CroAI said company-specific knowledge is a firm’s greatest asset. “AI technology today enables us to collect, create, organise and search that knowledge in a new, more efficient way. In doing so, we create new value and improve the efficiency of processes and learning within companies,” he said, adding that in times of rapid technological change, teams and organisations must be dynamic, fast and adaptable.
Tomislav Šmuc of the Ruđer Bošković Institute said the application of AI in healthcare is not a rapid or uncritical adoption of new technology, but requires building solid foundations. “Effective implementation must be aligned with improving patient experience and outcomes, enhancing public health and reducing system costs,” he said.
