The latest data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics on labour market trends during November 2025 confirm the expected transition of the Croatian economy into a calmer winter period.

According to official records, at the end of November a total of employed 1,735,230 persons. Although this is an impressive figure, it represents a decline of 1 percent compared with October, which clearly indicates the end of the late post-season and a reduction in the intensity of economic activities that rely on seasonal labour.

Particularly interesting is the structure of the employed, in which women make up almost half of the total number, specifically 807,020 female workers. Despite the monthly decline, the longer-term picture reveals system stability, because compared with the same period last year, the number of employed women even increased slightly. On the other hand, legal entities, as key generators of stable employment, counted just over one and a half million workers in November, which is also 1 percent less than in the preceding month.

An analysis of cumulative data for the first eleven months of 2025 provides a more optimistic perspective than mere monthly statistics. Namely, compared with the same period last year, the number of employees in legal entities recorded growth of 0.6 percent, while among women that growth is even more pronounced and amounts to a full 1 percent. These data suggest that the Croatian economy, despite occasional monthly fluctuations, is managing in the long term to maintain an upward trajectory of employment in the formal sector.

The reduction in the number of jobs in November was directly reflected in the labour exchange, where the number of unemployed persons increased by 4.2 percent compared with October. The same percentage increase was also recorded among women within the records of the Croatian Employment Service. Nevertheless, despite this inflow of new jobseekers, the overall registered unemployment rate remains at an exceptionally low level of 4.5 percent. For women, that rate is somewhat higher and stands at 5.1 percent, indicating the specific challenges female workers still face when returning to the labour market or during a change of occupation.

Looking at the broader picture, the current indicators of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics portray a labour market that is in a phase of maturity. While double-digit unemployment rates are a thing of the distant past, the current challenge is not a lack of jobs, but seasonal volatility and structural adjustment. The fact that the unemployment rate remained below 5 percent amid the autumn slowdown in activity is a clear indicator that demand for labour continues to exceed supply in most sectors. In conclusion, November brought the expected cooling, but the foundations of domestic employment remain solid, with a noticeable trend of strengthening the role of women in the country’s overall economic activity.