FIRST RELEASE		CROATIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS 10000 ZAGREB, ILICA 3, PHONE: +385 1 4806-111, P.O.B. 80, CROATIA ISSN 1334-0565
YEAR: XLVI.	ZAGREB, 15 JULY, 2009		NUMBER: 9.2.8.
				OBLIGED TO NOTIFY DATA SOURCE

LABOUR FORCE SURVEY

LABOUR FORCE IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
2008 ANNUAL AVERAGE

1. WORKING AGE POPULATION, BY ACTIVITY AND SEX

'000

	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.
	Total
Working age population (15+)	3 636	3 639	3 657	3 680
Labour force	1 802	1 785	1 785	1 785
Persons in employment	1 573	1 586	1 614	1 636
Unemployed persons	229	199	171	149
Inactive population (15+)	1 834	1 854	1 872	1 895
	%
Activity rate	49,6	49,1	48,8	48,5
Employment/population ratio	43,3	43,6	44,1	44,4
Unemployment rate	12,7	11,1	9,6	8,4
	Men
Working age population (15+)	1 713	1 717	1 715	1 732
Labour force	981	963	979	973
Persons in employment	867	868	897	905
Unemployed persons	114	95	82	68
Inactive population (15+)	732	754	736	759
	%
Activity rate	57,3	56,1	57,1	56,2
Employment/population ratio	50,6	50,6	52,3	52,2
Unemployment rate	11,7	9,8	8,3	7,0
	Women
Working age population (15+)	1 922	1 922	1 943	1 948
Labour force	821	822	807	812
Persons in employment	706	718	717	731
Unemployed persons	115	104	89	81
Inactive population (15+)	1 102	1 100	1 136	1 136
	%
Activity rate	42,7	42,8	41,5	41,7
Employment/population ratio	36,7	37,4	36,9	37,5
Unemployment rate	14,0	12,7	11,1	10,0

2.   WORKING AGE POPULATION, BY ACTIVITY, AGE GROUPS AND SEX

u tis.

'000

	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.
	Labour force				Persons in employment
	Total
Total	1 802	1 785	1 785	1 785	1 573	1 586	1 614	1 636
15 – 24	206	190	184	181	139	135	140	141
25 – 49	1 115	1 102	1 094	1 077	990	991	999	998
50 – 64	419	433	461	475	383	400	429	445
65 and over	62	61	47	52	61	60	47	52
15 –  64	1 740	1 725	1 738	1 733	1 512	1 526	1 568	1 584
	Men
Total	981	963	978	973	867	868	897	905
15 – 24	120	109	108	110	83	79	86	89
25 – 49	582	573	569	560	526	526	530	529
50 – 64	247	251	279	280	226	233	259	263
65 and over	32	30	(22)	(24)	32	30	(22)	(24)
15 –  64	949	933	956	949	835	838	875	881
	Women
Total	821	822	807	812	706	718	717	731
15 – 24	86	81	75	71	55	56	54	52
25 – 49	533	528	525	518	464	464	469	469
50 – 64	172	182	182	195	157	167	169	182
65 and over	30	31	(25)	(28)	30	31	(25)	(28)
15 – 64	791	791	782	784	676	687	692	703
	Unemployed persons				Inactive population
	Total
Total	229	199	171	149	1 834	1 854	1 872	1 895
15 – 24	67	55	44	40	340	347	348	341
25 – 49	125	110	95	79	219	230	206	202
50 – 64	36	34	(32)	(30)	457	452	456	466
65 and over	.	.	.	.	818	825	861	886
15 – 64	228	199	170	149	1 016	1 029	1 011	1 009
	Men
Total	114	94	82	68	733	754	736	759
15 – 24	36	30	(23)	(20)	166	172	169	160
25 – 49	56	46	39	(30)	85	89	73	74
50 – 64	(22)	(18)	(19)	(17)	164	169	166	174
65 and over	.	.	.	.	318	324	328	351
15 – 64	114	94	81	68	415	430	408	408
	Women
Total	115	104	89	81	1 102	1 100	1 136	1 136
15 – 24	30	25	(21)	(19)	174	176	179	181
25 – 49	69	63	56	49	133	141	133	128
50 – 64	(15)	(16)	((12))	((13))	294	282	291	292
65 and over	.	.	.	.	500	501	533	535
15 – 64	114	104	89	81	601	599	603	601

3.   POPULATION ACTIVITY MEASURES, BY AGE GROUPS AND SEX

%

	Activity rates				Employment/population ratios				Unemployment rates
	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.
					Total
Total	49,6	49,1	48,8	48,5	43,3	43,6	44,1	44,4	12,7	11,1	9,6	8,4
15 – 24	37,7	35,4	34,5	34,7	25,5	25,2	26,2	27,1	32,5	28,9	24,0	22,0
25 – 49	83,6	82,7	84,1	84,2	74,2	74,5	76,9	78,0	11,2	10,0	8,7	7,4
50 – 64	47,8	48,9	50,2	50,5	43,6	45,1	46,8	47,3	8,7	7,8	(6,9)	(6,3)
65 and over	7,0	6,8	5,2	5,51	7,0	6,8	5,2	5,5	.	.	.	.
15 – 64	63,1	62,6	63,2	63,2	54,8	55,4	57,0	57,8	13,1	11,5	9,8	8,6
					Men
Total	57,3	56,1	57,1	56,2	50,6	50,6	52,3	52,2	11,7	9,8	8,3	7,0
15 – 24	41,9	38,9	39,1	40,7	29,2	28,3	30,9	33,2	30,4	27,1	(20,9)	(18,5)
25 – 49	87,2	86,5	88,6	88,3	78,8	79,5	82,5	83,5	9,6	8,2	6,8	(5,4)
50 – 64	60,2	59,7	62,8	61,7	54,9	55,4	58,4	58,0	(8,8)	(7,2)	(7,0)	(6,0)
65 and over	9,2	8,4	(6,4)	(6,4)	9,1	8,3	(6,2)	(6,3)	.	.	.	.
15 – 64	69,6	68,5	70,1	70,0	61,2	61,5	64,2	65,0	12,0	10,1	8,5	7,1
					Women
Total	42,7	42,8	41,5	41,7	36,7	37,4	36,9	37,5	14,0	12,7	11,1	10,0
15 – 24	33,1	31,6	29,5	28,2	21,3	21,8	21,1	20,5	35,5	31,1	(28,5)	(27,2)
25 – 49	80,0	79,0	79,8	80,2	69,6	69,5	71,3	72,6	13,0	12,0	10,6	9,5
50 – 64	36,8	39,2	38,4	40,0	33,7	35,8	35,8	37,4	(8,6)	(8,6)	((6,7))	((6,6))
65 and over	5,7	5,8	(4,5)	(5,0)	5,6	5,8	(4,5)	(5,0)	.	.	.	.
15 – 64	56,8	56,9	56,5	56,6	48,6	49,4	50,0	50,7	14,5	13,2	11,4	10,4

4. SHARE IN WORKING AGE POPULATION, BY EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND SEX

%

	Labour force								Inactive population
	Persons in employment				Unemployed persons
	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.	2005.	2006.		2007.		2008.
	Total
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100		100		100
Uncompleted basic school	4,8	3,9	3,2	3,5	((2,2))	((3,2))	((2,4))	.	20,9	20,3		19,1		17,5
Basic school (8 years)	16,4	15,1	14,8	14,7	16,5	17,9	18,0	(18,2)	36,1	35,4		35,7		35,6
1 to 3-year secondary vocational school	32,6	32,5	32,7	32,7	42,0	38,2	36,8	37,5	17,5	18,1		18,3		19,0
4-year secondary vocational school	24,0	26,0	26,7	26,6	26,0	26,8	26,7	27,1	12,0	12,8		13,8		13,9
Grammar school	3,3	3,4	3,5	3,1	(4,6)	((4,1))	((4,2))	((4,2))	6,6	6,4		6,4		6,8
Non-university degree	6,8	6,9	7,3	7,2	((3,3))	((4,2))	((5,4))	((5,1))	3,3	3,4		3,4		3,6
University and postgraduate degree	12,1	12,2	11,8	12,2	(5,4)	(5,5)	(6,5)	((5,7))	3,7	3,6		3,2		3,6
	Women
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100		100
Uncompleted basic school	6,0	4,8	(4,2)	(4,1)	((2,2))	.	.	.	25,7	25,1	23,4		21,8
Basic school (8 years)	18,7	16,6	16,5	16,6	(16,8)	(17,8)	(18,4)	((17,4))	39,3	38,8	38,7		38,7
1 to 3-year secondary vocational school	21,8	22,0	22,1	22,3	36,0	32,7	(31,8)	(34,7)	11,3	11,9	12,6		12,7
4-year secondary vocational school	27,3	29,2	30,5	30,1	29,6	30,9	(29,6)	(29,3)	11,2	12,4	13,1		13,4
Grammar school	4,5	4,7	(4,9)	(4,1)	((6,2))	((5,1))	((5,3))	((5,7))	7,5	6,7	7,3		7,9
Non-university degree	7,7	8,4	8,1	8,1	((3,2))	((5,1))	((5,1))	((5,1))	2,6	2,7	2,7		(3,0)
University and postgraduate degree	14,0	14,3	13,6	14,7	((6,0))	((6,5))	((7,6))	((5,8))	(2,4)	(2,4)	(2,1)		(2,5)

5.   PERSONS IN EMPLOYMENT, BY STATUS IN EMPLOYMENT AND SEX

'000

	Total				Men				Women
	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.
	All sectors
Persons in employment	1 573	1 586	1 614	1 636	867	868	897	905	706	718	717	731
Persons in paid employment	1 181	1 222	1 266	1 282	647	656	694	700	534	566	572	582
Self-employed persons	354	329	312	318	210	202	194	196	143	127	118	122
Unpaid family workers	38	35	37	36	(10)	((9))	((10))	((9))	28	26	(27)	(27)
	%
Persons in employment	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Persons in paid employment	75,1	77,0	78,4	78,4	74,6	75,6	77,3	77,4	75,7	78,8	79,8	79,6
Self-employed persons	22,5	20,8	19,3	19,4	24,3	23,3	21,6	21,6	20,3	17,6	16,5	16,7
Unpaid family workers	2,4	2,2	2,3	2,2	(1,1)	((1,1))	((1,1))	((1,0))	4,0	3,6	(3,7)	(3,7)

6.   PERSONS IN EMPLOYMENT, ACCORDING TO NKD 2002. AND BY SEX

 ‘000

	Total				Men				Women
	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.
Total^1)	1 573	1 586	1 614	1 636	867	868	897	905	706	718	717	731
Agriculture, hunting and forestry	267	222	206	216	135	115	104	108	132	107	102	108
Fishing	((5))	((4))	((4))	((5))	((4))	((3))	.	((4))	.	.	.	.
Mining and quarrying	((9))	((7))	((10))	((9))	((8))	((6))	((9))	((8))	.	.	.	.
Manufacturing	284	302	312	316	175	193	199	200	109	109	113	116
Electricity, gas and water supply	29	(23)	(29)	(29)	(22)	(17)	(22)	(23)	((7))	((6))	((7))	((6))
Construction	128	133	142	145	117	122	131	133	((11))	(11)	((11))	((12))
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles and personal and household goods	219	234	230	246	105	108	106	121	114	126	124	125
Hotels and restaurants	83	90	95	89	38	40	46	42	45	50	49	47
Transport, storage and communication	103	104	115	109	82	82	90	87	(21)	(22)	(25)	(22)
Financial intermediation	28	39	(36)	(34)	((10))	((11))	((12))	((12))	(18)	28	(24)	(22)
Real estate, renting and business activities	76	81	84	83	42	45	44	42	34	36	40	(41)
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	100	99	94	94	58	54	53	50	42	45	41	44
Education	87	92	89	92	(20)	(21)	(23)	(22)	67	71	66	69
Health and social work	85	85	91	92	(20)	(19)	(21)	(19)	65	66	70	73
Other community, social and personal service activities	62	66	71	70	30	32	(34)	(33)	32	34	(37)	(37)
Private households with employed persons	((5))	((4))	((5))	((5))	.	.	.	.	((4))	((4))	((5))	((4))
Extra-territorial organizations and bodies	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	-	.	.	.	.

1)  Due to unreliable estimates marked by ((.)), data do not add up to the total.

7.   PERSONS IN EMPLOYMENT, ACCORDING TO NKD 2002. AND BY SEX

%

	Total				Men				Women
	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.
Total^1)	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Agriculture, hunting and forestry	17,0	14,0	12,8	13,2	15,5	13,3	11,6	11,9	18,8	14,9	14,2	14,8
Fishing	((0,3))	((0,2))	((0,2))	((0,3))	((0,5))	((0,3))	.	((0,5))	.	.	.	.
Mining and quarrying	((0,6))	((0,5))	((0,6))	((0,5))	((1,0))	((0,7))	((1,1))	((0,9))	.	.	.	.
Manufacturing	18,1	19,0	19,3	19,3	20,1	22,2	22,1	22,1	15,5	15,2	15,8	15,9
Electricity, gas and water supply	1,8	(1,4)	(1,8)	(1,7)	(2,6)	(1,9)	(2,4)	(2,6)	((0,9))	((0,9))	((1,0))	((0,8))
Construction	8,2	8,4	8,8	8,9	13,5	14,1	14,6	14,7	((1,6))	(1,6)	((1,5))	((1,6))
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles and personal and household goods	14,0	14,7	14,2	15,0	12,1	12,4	11,8	13,3	16,2	17,5	17,3	17,1
Hotels and restaurants	5,3	5,7	5,9	5,4	4,4	4,6	5,2	4,6	6,4	6,9	6,8	6,5
Transport, storage and communication	6,6	6,6	7,1	6,7	9,5	9,4	10,0	9,7	(3,0)	(3,1)	(3,5)	(2,9)
Financial intermediation	1,8	2,4	(2,3)	(2,1)	((1,1))	((1,3))	((1,3))	((1,3))	(2,6)	3,9	(3,4)	(3,1)
Real estate, renting and business activities	4,8	5,1	5,2	5,1	4,8	5,2	4,9	4,6	4,8	5,1	5,6	(5,6)
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	6,4	6,2	5,8	5,8	6,7	6,2	5,9	5,5	6,0	6,3	5,7	6,1
Education	5,6	5,8	5,5	5,6	(2,4)	(2,5)	(2,6)	(2,5)	9,5	9,8	9,2	9,5
Health and social work	5,4	5,3	5,6	5,6	(2,3)	(2,2)	(2,3)	(2,1)	9,2	9,2	9,8	10,1
Other community, social and personal service activities	4,0	4,1	4,4	4,3	3,5	3,6	(3,8)	(3,6)	4,6	4,7	(5,2)	(5,1)
Private households with employed persons	((0,3))	((0,3))	((0,3))	((0,3))	.	.	.	.	((0,6))	((0,5))	((0,7))	((0,6))
Extra-territorial organizations and bodies	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	-	.	.	.	.

1)  Due to unreliable estimates marked by ((.)), data do not add up to the total.

8.   PERSONS IN EMPLOYMENT, BY MAJOR GROUPS OF OCCUPATION AND SEX

'000

	Total				Men				Women
	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.
Total^1)	1 573	1 586	1 614	1 636	867	868	897	905	706	718	717	731
Legislators, senior officials and managers	86	83	82	86	66	62	65	63	(20)	(21)	(17)	(23)
Professionals	147	151	150	161	66	64	67	72	81	87	83	89
Technicians and associate professionals	226	234	235	245	120	124	122	127	106	110	113	118
Clerks	170	177	196	193	47	46	58	60	123	130	138	133
Service workers, and shop and market sales workers	217	238	237	235	91	95	94	95	126	143	143	140
Skilled agricultural and fishery workers	238	195	184	192	113	95	88	91	125	100	96	101
Craft and related trade workers	190	205	225	220	176	189	208	202	(14)	(16)	(17)	(18)
Plant and machine operators and assemblers	167	170	168	167	120	126	129	126	47	44	39	41
Elementary occupations	119	120	126	127	57	56	55	60	62	64	71	67
Armed forces	(12)	(11)	((11))	((9))	(11)	(10)	((11))	((8))	.	.	.	.
Other	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	-	.	-	-
	%
Total^1)	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Legislators, senior officials and managers	5,5	5,3	5,1	5,3	7,6	7,2	7,2	7,0	(2,9)	(3,0)	(2,4)	(3,1)
Professionals	9,3	9,5	9,3	9,8	7,7	7,4	7,5	7,9	11,4	12,1	11,5	12,3
Technicians and associate professionals	14,4	14,7	14,5	15,0	13,9	14,3	13,6	14,0	15,0	15,3	15,7	18,1
Clerks	10,8	11,1	12,2	11,8	5,4	5,3	6,5	6,6	17,4	18,2	19,3	18,2
Service workers, and shop and market sales workers	13,8	15,0	14,6	14,4	10,5	10,9	10,4	10,5	17,9	20,0	20,0	19,2
Skilled agricultural and fishery workers	15,1	12,3	11,4	11,8	13,0	11,0	9,8	10,1	17,8	13,9	13,3	13,8
Craft and related trade workers	12,1	12,9	14,0	13,5	20,2	21,8	23,2	22,4	(2,0)	(2,2)	(2,4)	(2,4)
Plant and machine operators and assemblers	10,6	10,7	10,4	10,2	13,9	14,5	14,3	14,0	6,7	6,1	5,5	5,6
Elementary occupations	7,6	7,6	7,8	7,7	6,5	6,4	6,1	6,6	8,9	9,0	9,9	9,2
Armed forces	(0,7)	(0,7)	((0,7))	((0,5))	(1,3)	(1,2)	((1,2))	((0,9))	.	.	.	.
Other	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	-	.	-	-

1)  Due to unreliable estimates marked by (( . )), data do not add up to the total.

9.     AVERAGE HOURS ACTUALLY WORKED ON MAIN JOB DURING REFERENCE WEEK, BY ACTIVITY SECTORS AND SEX

	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.
	Total
Total	39,6	39,8	39,8	39,5
Agriculture	33,0	33,4	32,8	32,1
Industry	41,6	41,4	41,5	41,0
Services	40,8	40,6	40,5	40,5
	Men
Total	40,9	40,9	41,0	40,6
Agriculture	36,1	36,8	36,6	35,7
Industry	42,1	41,8	41,9	41,3
Services	41,6	41,3	41,3	41,2
	Women
Total	38,1	38,4	38,2	38,0
Agriculture	29,8	29,6	28,8	28,4
Industry	40,3	40,4	40,4	40,0
Services	40,2	40,0	39,7	39,8

10.   UNEMPLOYED PERSONS, BY DURATION OF JOB SEARCH

	Total, '000				Total, %
	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.
Total	229	199	171	149	100	100	100	100
Unemployed persons who found job^1)	((5))	.	.	.	((2,0))	.	.	.
Less than 1 month	((9))	(10)	((5))	((6))	((4,0))	(4,8)	((3,0))	((4,2))
1 – 3 months	33	(27)	(21)	(19)	14,4	(13,4)	(12,4)	(12,7)
4 – 6 months	24	(21)	(19)	((14))	10,3	(10,8)	(11,3)	((9,6))
7 – 12 months	33	31	(23)	((15))	14,6	15,7	(13,4)	((10,3))
13 - 24 months	35	23	(25)	(25)	15,2	11,5	(14,7)	(16,5)
25 months and over	90	84	75	67	39,5	42,1	43,7	45,0

1)  According to the international methodology, persons who, at the time of the Survey, have found a job to start later are also considered unemployed persons.

11.   REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED PERSONS, NOT ILO UNEMPLOYED

	Total, '000				Total, %
	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.
	Total
ILO unemployed persons	229	199	171	149	100	100	100	100
Registered with CES	193	168	147	123	84,4	84,6	86,1	82,6
Not registered with CES	36	31	(24)	(26)	15,5	15,4	(13,9)	(17,4)
Registered unemployed persons	309	292	264	237	100	100	100	100
not ILO unemployed	116	124	117	114	37,4	42,3	44,3	47,9
	Men
ILO unemployed persons	114	95	82	68	100	100	100	100
Registered with CES	93	78	67	53	81,0	82,1	82,1	78,7
Not registered with CES	(21)	(17)	((15))	((14))	19,0	17,9	((17,9))	((21,3))
Registered unemployed persons	128	117	103	90	100	100	100	100
not ILO unemployed	35	39	36	37	27,5	33,4	20,4	40,3
	Women
ILO unemployed persons	115	104	89	81	100	100	100	100
Registered with CES	100	90	80	70	87,7	86,9	89,8	85,8
Not registered with CES	(15)	(14)	((9))	((12))	(12,3)	(13,1)	((10,2))	((14,2))
Registered unemployed persons	181	175	161	147	100	100	100	100
not ILO unemployed	81	85	81	77	44,4	48,3	50,4	52,6

12.   COMPARISON BETWEEN REGISTERED AND ILO UNEMPLOYMENT, BY SEX

	Total				Men				Women
	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.	2005.	2006.	2007.	2008.
Unemployed persons  registered with CES,'000	309	292	264	237	128	117	103	90	181	175	162	147
ILO unemployed persons, '000	229	199	171	149	114	95	82	68	115	104	90	81
ILO unemployment rate, %	12,7	11,1	9,6	8,4	11,7	9,8	8,3	7,0	14,0	12,7	11,1	10,0
Registered unemployment rate, %	17,9	16,6	14,9	13,2	14,1	12,6	11,0	9,5	22,0	21,0	19,1	17,4

1) Rates were calculated from final administrative data.

13.   PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS OF UNEMPLOYMENT

	2006.	2007.	2008.
		Total
Total	199	171	149
Found job to start working later	(3)	.	((2))
Seeking work after losing/leaving     job	127	112	91
Seeking work after inactivity	67	57	53
Seeking first job	59	49	46
Registered as unemployed	169	147	123
Receiving benefits/assistance	28	(20)	23
		Men
Total	95	82	68
Found job to start working later	((2))	.	((1))
Seeking work after losing/leaving     job	65	58	44
Seeking work after inactivity	27	(22)	22
Seeking first job	26	21	20
Registered as unemployed	78	67	53
Receiving benefits/assistance	13	((10))	10
		Women
Total	104	89	81
Found job to start working later	.	.	((1))
Seeking work after losing/leaving     job	62	54	47
Seeking work after inactivity	40	35	31
Seeking first job	33	28	26
Registered as unemployed	91	80	70
Receiving benefits/assistance	15	((10))	13

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

The Labour Force Survey is the most comprehensive survey on labour market characteristics based on the household sample in the Republic of Croatia. It is aimed at collecting data on the situation and changes on the Croatian labour market, that is, data on size, structure and characteristics of active and inactive population.

The Survey is carried out in compliance with methodological rules and guidelines of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), adopted at the 13^th Conference of Labour Statisticians and the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat), which enables methodological comparability of surveys in EU countries. The application of this methodological foundation is a prerequisite for obtaining internationally comparable data in the area of labour statistics, which enables the comparison of the Republic of Croatia with other countries.

The collected data are significant for purposes of monitoring, measuring and assessing of economic and social trends in the Republic of Croatia and, at the same time, they allow for the use of modern analytical methods in economics, sociology, psychology, etc., serving also as a basis for employment policy programmes.

Data collection

In the Republic of Croatia, the Labour Force Survey was for the first time carried out in November 1996 as an annual survey. It was carried out in the same manner in June 1997. In order to fulfil the need for more frequent data collection than just once a year, and following the example of European countries and recommendations of international institutions, the Labour Force Survey has been carried out by interviewing a part of sampled households every month. Data are processed and published for each half-year period. In 2006, the Central Bureau of Statistics set preconditions for improving the Labour Force Survey in its methodology and organisation, aiming at obtaining more precise results and achieving the complete harmonisation with the Acquis Communaitaire. Therefore, starting from 2007, the Labour Force Survey has been carried out continuously, that is, households are interviewed throughout the year. This means that every week is both reference and interviewing week. Collected data are continuously delivered to the Central Bureau of Statistics, which has processed and published results in quarterly dynamics since the beginning of 2007 as well as annual averages for the previous four years starting from this issue of the First Release.

Accordingly, interviewers visit sampled addresses every week and conduct interviews on private households living at these addresses. The interview lasts approximately 20 minutes. According to the Act on Official Statistics (NN, No. 103/03), all information given by interviewed persons are confidential. The data collected are used for statistical purposes only.

Field work is carried out by 160 interviewers. Their work is organised and monitored by 28 field supervisors. Supervisors control the filled in questionnaires submitted by interviewers and, in cooperation with interviewers, correct detected errors before sending them to the Central Bureau of Statistics.

Basic concepts and definitions

The Labour Force Survey measures the economic activity of population in a short survey period of one week. The reference week for the Survey, which has been carried out in the Republic of Croatia since the beginning of 2007, is every week throughout the year.

A household is a small economic group of persons that is usually, although not always, a group of relatives living together and sharing costs of living (housing, food, etc.).

Working age population comprises all persons aged 15 years and over.

Persons in employment are those who were engaged in any work for payment in cash or kind during the reference week. Those are employees, the self-employed, and family members who are helping in some kind of family business (family enterprise, firm, craft, free-lance, farm) or some other kind of gainful activity, as well as persons who worked on contract, for direct payment in cash or kind. Therefore, the Survey covers all persons who worked for at least one hour in the reference period, irrespective of their formal status or means of payment. In this way, a retired person, a student or a housewife can also be classified as employed.

Persons in employment are also those who were absent from work during the reference week but had a job to return to with the same employer after the reason for absence no longer existed.

Persons in paid employment are those who work for an employer in the state or private sector and are paid for their work in money or kind.

Self-employed persons are employers who run an enterprise and employ one or more employees, as well as own-account workers who have no employees.

Unpaid family workers are those who are not in paid employment or self-employment, but work in an enterprise owned by a family member and do not receive a payment for their work.

Unemployed persons are those who meet the following three criteria:

a)  in the reference period did not work for payment in cash or kind;

b)  were actively seeking work during four weeks prior to the Survey, and

c)  were currently available for work within the next two weeks.

Those who have found a job to start in the future are also included.

Underemployed persons are those who usually work less than 36 hours per week but would like to work more and are prepared to accept more work in the next two weeks (within their present work, with additional work or with other work).

Currently active population or the labour force consists of persons whose activity status in the reference week is either employed or unemployed.

Inactive population consists of persons under the age of 15 as well as those of working age who are neither employed nor unemployed.

Target population covered by the Survey is determined by the presence of interviewed household members in the household. The definition of presence is based on the "de facto" principle, which excludes household members living at some other address where they work or go to school for more than 12 months, as well as temporarily present members of another household. The Survey does not cover collective households such as student homes, convents, etc.

Activity rate represents the labour force as a percentage of the working age population.

Employment/population ratio represents persons in employment as a percentage of working age population.

Unemployment rate represents unemployed persons as a percentage of the labour force.

Since 1996, in accordance with the experience of most developed countries and based on the data available from administrative sources and the Labour Force Survey, the Central Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Croatia has published two differently defined unemployment rates and related data on active population or labour force.

Besides survey data, the Central Bureau of Statistics publishes administrative data on employment and unemployment in the Republic of Croatia.

The following methodological characteristics cause mutual differences between data on persons in employment:

Source and coverage: administrative data on persons in employment are based on data obtained through the monthly and annual survey (RAD-1 form) covering legal entities of all types of ownership, government bodies and bodies of local and regional self-government units on the territory of the Republic of Croatia. The monthly survey covers 70% of all persons in employment in each NKD 2002. division. Data on persons in employment in crafts and trades and free-lances as well as on insured private farmers are processed according to records on pension insurance beneficiaries obtained from the Croatian Institute for Pension Insurance. Since January 2004, data on the number of persons in paid employment in legal entities have included the number of persons employed in the police and defence. The Labour Force Survey results are estimated on the basis of a representative statistical sample of private households in the Republic of Croatia.

Reference period: administrative data on persons in employment refer to the last day of a previous month, while the Labour Force Survey data are related to a reference week.

Observation period: administrative data are processed and published in monthly dynamics, while the Labour Force Survey results are related to a quarterly period.

Definition of persons in employment: administrative sources apply the formal definition of employment (persons who have signed the work contract with the employer for a fixed or unspecified period of time, irrespective of type of ownership and of whether they work full time or less than full time), while the Labour Force Survey shows persons in employment as all persons who were, in the reference week, engaged in any work for payment in cash or kind, as well as those who were absent from work during the reference week, but had a job to return to with the same employer after the reason for absence no longer existed.

Publication: administrative data on persons in employment are published monthly in the First Release titled Persons in Paid Employment by Activity, annually in the First Release titled Persons in Employment by Activity and by Sex – Final Data and in the Monthly Statistical Reports of the Central Bureau of Statistics. The First Release and the Statistical Report containing the Labour Force Survey results are the publications in which survey results on persons in employment are published in the  quarterly dynamics. The RAD-1 annual survey data are also published at lower territorial levels, while the Survey results are available only at the level of the whole Republic of Croatia.

The Central Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Croatia publishes data on unemployed persons taken over from administrative sources as well as those obtained through the Labour Force Survey. These data differ due to the following methodological characteristics:

Source and coverage: data on registered unemployment are obtained from the Register of Unemployed Persons kept by the Croatian Employment Service, while the Labour Force Survey results are collected by interviewing private households. Register contains data on all unemployed persons in the Republic of Croatia, while the Labour Force Survey results are estimated on the basis of the representative statistical sample.

Reference period: the Register data refer to the last day of each month, while the Labour Force Survey data are collected for each reference week.

Observation period: the Register data are taken over in monthly dynamics, while the Labour Force Survey results are processed and published for a quarterly period.

Definition of unemployed persons: a registered unemployed person is a person who is registered with the Croatian Employment Service, that is, each person who meets criteria defined by the Act on Job Placement and Unemployment Insurance and the Croatian Employment Service. According to the Labour Force Survey, an unemployed person is either a person who did not perform any work for payment in cash or kind in the reference week, and was actively seeking work in the course of four weeks before the interview and is prepared to start an offered job in the following two weeks or a person who has found a job and will start working shortly after the interview.

Publication: data on registered unemployment and registered unemployed rate are published monthly in the First Release titled Persons in Employment by Activity and by Sex as well as in the Statistical Reports of the Central Bureau of Statistics. The First Release and Statistical Report containing the quarterly Labour Force Survey results are publications in which the comparison of unemployment rate obtained from the Survey results and the one from administrative sources are published. At the same time, the Croatian Employment Service publishes administrative data on unemployment at lower territorial levels, while the Survey data are available only at the level of the whole Republic of Croatia.

The data show that the unemployment rate based on the administrative data sources is higher than the Labour Force Survey rate. This is, on one hand, due to the fact that some categories of population formally classified as unemployed or inactive are nevertheless active, and on the other, administrative sources, besides really unemployed persons, include a significant share of persons who are not classified as unemployed according to the definition of the Survey, but are through this status entitled to some social or economic rights and benefits.

Classifications used:

a)  The National Classification of Activities, 2002 version, comparable to the international classification of activities NACE Rev. 1.1, was used in economic              activity coding.

b)  The draft of the National Classification of Occupations, comparable to  the international classification of occupations ISCO-88 (COM), was used in   coding the occupations.

c)  The Classification of the Status in Employment, ICSE.