MOSTAR, November 19 (FENA) – The results of research on salary negotiations show that men are more likely to demand higher salary increases than women, while women often settle for more modest requests. Salary negotiation trends in Bosnia and Herzegovina generally align with the European average, except for inflation, which has emerged as an important factor driving employees to demand higher salaries.

The portal MojPosao.ba, part of the Alma Career group, recently participated in a large international study that explored salary negotiation trends.

The study involved more than 24,000 participants from nine countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia.

During their last job change, one in four respondents asked for the same salary, while most sought a higher salary in their new position.

Gender differences were also apparent, with 66 percent of men requesting a higher salary compared to 62 percent of women. Women were more likely to accept the same salary as their previous job.

Looking at the situation in BiH, the situation is almost identical to the international average, with 66 percent of men seeking a higher salary compared to their previous job, while 61 percent of women had a similar stance.

The research also revealed that individuals with higher salaries are more likely to negotiate for an increase, with three-quarters of the highest-paid respondents seeking a salary raise during interviews.

When it comes to the size of the salary increase, men generally ask for larger raises. One-third of men requested a 20 percent increase, while nearly half of the women preferred a more modest 10 percent raise. In BiH, both men (39 percent) and women (28 percent) requested a 20 percent increase at a higher rate compared to the European average.

Regional differences were also noted, with respondents from the Baltic region more willing to accept smaller raises, while those from Southeast Europe had more ambitious salary demands.

The main reasons for seeking higher salaries included sufficient work experience and self-esteem (41 percent), inflation (29 percent), and moving to a higher position (25 percent). Both men and women cited similar reasons, though men were slightly more likely to emphasize increased competencies as a factor. Respondents from BiH mentioned the same primary reasons for seeking a salary increase but more frequently than respondents in Europe pointed to inflation (34 percent), indicating a more significant impact of the rising cost of living on employees in BiH.

On the other hand, the main reasons for accepting lower salaries were changes in job roles (24 percent) and salary levels indicated in job advertisements. Gender differences were also observed, with women more often accepting lower salaries due to specifications in job ads, while men did so because of previously high salaries.

The research also touched on the issue of the gender pay gap. While nearly half of men do not see this as a problem, a significant majority of women consider it to be a major issue. This perception was more pronounced in Central and Northern Europe compared to Southeast Europe.

In the case of BiH, 58 percent of men do not see the pay gap as a problem, while 39 percent of women agree with this view. Compared to the European average, only 30 percent of women in BiH consider this gap to be a serious problem.