LABOUR FORCE SURVEY

LABOUR FORCE IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
SECOND HALF-YEAR OF 2005

1.   WORKING AGE POPULATION, BY ACTIVITY AND SEX

'000

	2004.		2005.
	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.
	Total
Working age population (15+)	3 595	3 584	3 613	3 659
Labour force	1 836	1 789	1 802	1 802
Persons in employment	1 583	1 542	1 566	1 580
Unemployed persons	253	246	236	222
Inactive population (15+)	1 760	1 795	1 811	1 857
	%
Activity rate	51,1	49,9	49,9	49,2
Employment/population ratio	44,0	43,0	43,3	43,2
Unemployment rate	13,8	13,8	13,1	12,3
	Men
Working age population (15+)	1 692	1 693	1 702	1 726
Labour  force	1 004	969	975	988
Persons in employment	879	854	854	880
Unemployed persons	125	115	121	108
Inactive population (15+)	688	725	727	738
		%
Activity rate	59,3	57,2	57,3	57,2
Employment/population ratio	52,0	50,4	50,2	51,0
Unemployment rate	12,4	11,9	12,4	11,0
	Women
Working age population (15+)	1 904	1 891	1 911	1 934
Labour force	832	820	827	814
Persons in employment	704	689	712	700
Unemployed persons	128	131	115	114
Inactive population (15+)	1 072	1071	1 084	1 120
	%
Activity rate	43,7	43,4	43,3	42,1
Employment/population ratio	37,0	36,4	37,3	36,2
Unemployment rate	15,4	16,0	13,9	14,0

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

'000

	2004.		2005.			2004.		2005.
	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.		I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.
	Labour force					Persons in employment
	Total
Total	1 836	1 789	1 802	1 802		1 583	1 542	1 566	1 580
15 – 24	215	206	202	209		144	136	135	142
25 – 49	1 178	1 134	1 121	1 109		1 028	990	992	988
50 – 64	382	395	410	428		350	363	372	393
65 and over	62	54	68	56		61	54	67	56
15 – 64	1 774	1 734	1 734	1 746		1 522	1 489	1 499	1 524
	Men
Total	1 004	969	975	988		879	854	854	880
15 – 24	124	117	119	120		87	82	83	84
25 – 49	622	593	582	581		553	530	521	531
50 – 64	227	233	238	257		208	216	216	236
65 and over	31	26	35	29		31	25	35	29
15 – 64	973	943	940	959		848	828	820	851
	Women
Total	832	820	827	814		704	689	712	700
15 – 24	91	89	83	89		57	54	52	58
25 – 49	556	540	539	527		475	459	471	457
50 – 64	155	162	172	171		142	147	156	158
65 and over	31	28	33	27		31	28	32	27
15 – 64	801	791	794	787		673	660	679	673
	Unemployed persons					Inactive population
	Total
Total	253	246	236	222	1 760		1 795	1 811	1 857
15 – 24	71	69	67	67	330		328	341	338
25 – 49	150	144	130	120	229		227	213	224
50 – 64	32	32	38	35	449		452	455	461
65 and over	.	.	.	.	752		788	802	834
15 – 64	253	246	235	222	1 008		1 008	1 010	1 023
				Men
Total	125	115	121	108		688	725	727	738
15 – 24	37	35	36	36		159	167	168	164
25 – 49	69	63	61	50		79	82	86	85
50 – 64	19	17	22	21		162	172	163	164
65 and over	.	.	.	.		289	303	311	325
15 – 64	125	115	120	108		399	421	416	413
	Women
Total	128	131	115	114		1 072	1 071	1 084	1 120
15 – 24	34	35	30	31		171	161	173	174
25 – 49	81	81	68	70		150	145	128	139
50 – 64	13	15	16	13		287	281	292	296
65 and over	.	.	.	.		463	484	491	510
15 – 64	128	131	115	114		609	587	593	610

3.    POPULATION ACTIVITY MEASURES, BY AGE GROUPS AND SEX

%

	Activity rates				Employment/population ratios				Unemployment rates
	2004.		2005.		2004.		2005.		2004.		2005.
	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.
	Total
Total	51,1	49,9	49,9	49,2	44,0	43,0	43,3	43,2	13,8	13,8	13,1	12,3
15 – 24	39,5	38,5	37,2	38,2	26,5	25,5	24,9	26,0	32,9	33,8	33,1	32,0
25 – 49	83,7	83,3	84,0	83,2	73,1	72,7	74,3	74,2	12,7	12,7	11,6	10,9
50 – 64	46,0	46,6	47,4	48,2	42,1	42,8	43,0	44,3	8,4	8,1	9,4	8,1
65 and over	7,6	6,5	7,8	6,3	7,5	6,4	7,7	6,3	.	.	.	.
15 – 64	63,8	63,2	63,2	63,1	54,7	54,3	54,6	55,0	14,2	14,2	13,5	12,7
	Men
Total	59,3	57,2	57,3	57,2	52,0	50,4	50,2	51,0	12,4	11,9	12,4	11,0
15 – 24	43,9	41,1	41,5	42,3	30,9	28,9	28,8	29,6	29,7	29,7	30,6	30,2
25 – 49	88,7	87,8	87,2	87,3	78,9	78,5	78,0	79,7	11,1	10,6	10,6	8,7
50 – 64	58,4	57,6	59,4	61,0	53,5	53,4	53,9	56,0	8,3	7,3	9,3	8,3
65 and over	9,7	7,9	10,1	8,3	9,7	7,7	10,0	8,2	.	.	.	.
15 – 64	70,9	69,1	69,3	69,9	61,8	60,7	60,4	62,0	12,8	12,2	12,8	11,3
	Women
Total	43,7	43,4	43,3	42,1	37,0	36,4	37,3	36,2	15,4	16,0	13,9	14,0
15 – 24	34,6	35,6	32,4	33,8	21,7	21,7	20,5	22,2	37,3	39,2	36,8	34,4
25 – 49	78,7	78,9	80,8	79,1	67,3	67,0	70,6	68,6	14,6	15,0	12,6	13,3
50 – 64	35,1	36,6	37,1	36,6	32,1	33,2	33,6	33,7	8,5	9,3	9,4	7,8
65 and over	6,2	5,6	6,3	5,0	6,2	5,5	6,2	5,0	.	.	.	.
15 – 64	56,8	57,4	57,2	56,4	47,8	47,9	49,0	48,2	16,0	16,5	14,4	14,5

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

%

	Labour force								Inactive population
	Persons in employment				Unemployed persons
	2004.		2005.		2004.		2005.		2004.		2005.
	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.
	Total
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Uncompleted basic school	4,6	4,4	4,7	4,8	((2,5))	((2,9))	(2,1)	(2,2)	20,4	20,7	21,2	20,5
Basic school (8 years)	17,6	17,7	17,0	15,8	19,7	18,5	16,6	16,5	37,3	36,8	35,5	36,7
1 to 3-year secondary vocational school	32,7	32,8	31,8	33,6	38,3	40,2	41,4	42,6	17,4	17,1	17,2	17,8
4-year secondary vocational school	23,1	23,9	24,7	23,3	24,5	25,0	26,7	25,3	12,0	12,6	12,0	12,0
Grammar school	3,2	2,8	3,5	3,1	(5,0)	((3,8))	((4,9))	((4,2))	6,6	6,1	6,9	6,4
Non-university degree	7,1	6,6	6,8	6,7	((3,9))	((3,5))	((2,9))	((3,8))	3,0	3,1	3,4	3,1
University and postgraduate degree	11,8	11,9	11,5	12,7	(6,2)	(6,0)	(5,4)	(5,4)	3,3	3,7	3,8	3,5
	Women
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Uncompleted basic school	5,2	5,0	6,0	6,0	((2,6))	((3,4))	((1,5))	((2,9))	24,9	25,7	26,0	25,4
Basic school (8 years)	19,3	19,9	18,9	18,4	20,0	18,5	16,6	16,9	41,6	39,6	38,6	40,0
1 to 3-year secondary vocational school	23,0	22,8	21,2	22,3	34,5	34,0	36,1	35,8	10,8	10,8	11,0	11,6
4-year secondary vocational school	26,6	27,1	28,1	26,5	27,2	29,1	30,4	28,8	10,9	12,4	11,3	11,1
Grammar school	4,1	4,2	4,6	4,4	((5,9))	((4,9))	((6,6))	((5,8))	7,3	6,8	7,7	7,2
Non-university degree	8,2	7,7	7,7	7,7	((3,7))	((3,6))	((2,0))	((4,5))	2,5	(2,1)	2,8	2,4
University and postgraduate degree	13,7	13,4	13,4	14,7	((6,1))	((6,6))	((6,7))	((5,3))	(1,9)	2,6	2,6	2,3

5.   PERSONS IN EMPLOYMENT, BY SECTOR OF OWNERSHIP, STATUS IN EMPLOYMENT AND SEX

'000

	Total				Men				Women
	2004.		2005.		2004.		2005.		2004.		2005.
	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.
	All sectors
Persons in employment	1 583	1 542	1 566	1 580	879	854	854	880	704	689	712	700
Persons in paid employment	1 201	1 189	1 169	1 194	660	652	633	661	541	538	536	533
Self-employed persons	331	319	356	352	205	193	211	210	126	127	145	142
Unpaid family workers	51	34	41	34	14	9	10	9	37	24	31	25
	Private sector
Persons in employment	1 057	1 011	1 076	1 072	603	579	602	610	454	432	474	462
Persons in paid employment	675	658	679	686	384	378	381	391	291	281	298	294
Self-employed persons	331	319	356	352	205	193	211	210	126	127	145	142
With no employees	254	235	279	270	148	134	155	148	106	101	124	122
With employees	77	84	76	82	58	59	56	62	20	26	20	20
Unpaid family workers	51	34	41	34	14	9	10	9	37	24	31	25
	Sector of state ownership and sector in transition
Persons in paid employment	526	531	490	508	276	274	252	270	250	257	238	238
Sector of state ownership	502	510	476	497	260	259	243	262	242	251	233	235
Sector in transition	24	21	14	11	16	15	8	8	9	6	6	3

6.   PERSONS IN EMPLOYMENT, ACCORDING TO NKD 2002. AND BY SECTOR OF OWNERSHIP

%

	Total				Sector of state ownership and sector in transition				Private sector
	2004.		2005.		2004.		2005.		2004.		2005.
	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.
Total^1)	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Agriculture, hunting and forestry	16,6	15,6	17,0	17,0	3,1	3,6	3,5	3,4	23,3	21,9	23,2	23,4
Fishing	((0,4))	((0,3))	((0,3))	((0,3))	.	.	.	-	((0,6))	((0,4))	((0,4))	((0,4))
Mining and quarrying	((0,5))	((0,7))	(0,6)	((0,6))	((0,7))	((1,0))	((1,4))	((0,9))	((0,4))	((0,5))	((0,2))	((0,4))
Manufacturing	19,2	19,3	17,7	18,3	12,9	12,1	10,3	11,1	22,3	23,1	21,1	21,8
Electricity, gas and water supply	1,7	2,0	1,8	1,9	4,9	5,5	5,4	5,6	.	.	.	.
Construction	8,2	8,1	8,3	8,0	3,8	3,7	3,9	3,2	10,4	10,4	10,3	10,2
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles and personal and household goods	13,5	14,1	14,3	13,6	2,8	3,0	2,9	2,0	18,8	19,9	19,5	19,1
Hotels and restaurants	5,5	5,6	5,4	5,2	(2,4)	(2,6)	(2,5)	3,1	7,0	7,1	6,7	6,3
Transport, storage and communication	6,6	6,6	6,2	6,9	10,4	10,2	8,8	10,9	4,8	4,7	5,0	5,0
Financial intermediation	2,2	1,7	1,8	1,8	(2,4)	((1,8))	(2,3)	(1,9)	2,1	1,7	1,6	1,7
Real estate, renting and business activities	4,0	4,0	4,9	4,7	((1,6))	((2,0))	((2,6))	((2,1))	5,2	5,1	6,0	5,9
Public administration and defence: compulsory social security	6,7	6,4	6,8	6,0	20,0	18,5	21,6	18,6	-	-	-	-
Education	5,6	6,0	5,1	6,0	16,4	16,5	15,1	17,4	((0,3))	((0,4))	((0,6))	((0,6))
Health and social work	5,3	5,9	5,4	5,4	12,6	14,1	13,7	13,4	(1,6)	(1,6)	(1,6)	(1,6)
Other community, social and personal service activities	3,7	3,6	3,9	4,1	5,8	5,3	5,9	6,2	2,7	2,6	2,9	3,1
Private households with employed persons	((0,2))	((0,2))	((0,4))	((0,2))	-	-	-	-	((0,2))	((0,4))	((0,5))	((0,3))
Extra-territorial organizations and bodies	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.

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

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

'000

	Total					Men				Women
	2004.			2005.		2004.		2005.		2004.		2005.
	I. - VI.		VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.
Total^1)	1 583		1 542	1 566	1 580	879	854	854	880	704	689	712	700
Legislators, senior officials and managers	74		79	80	93	57	60	62	70	(17)	(19)	(19)	(23)
Professionals	145		142	138	155	64	62	59	74	82	79	79	82
Technicians and associate professionals	222		207	223	229	116	105	123	118	106	102	100	111
Clerks	176		167	173	166	54	56	44	50	122	111	130	116
Service workers, and shop and market sales workers	218		234	226	208	86	94	94	87	132	140	131	121
Skilled agricultural and fishery workers	236		206	242	234	118	101	115	111	118	105	128	124
Craft and related trade workers	208		194	184	196	190	180	172	180	(19)	(14)	(12)	(16)
Plant and machine operators and assemblers	167		156	167	168	124	112	118	122	44	44	48	46
Elementary occupations	122		146	120	119	59	71	56	58	63	75	65	61
Armed forces	(11)		(12)	(12)	(11)	(10)	(11)	(12)	(10)	.	.	.	.
Other	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
	%
Total^1)	100	100		100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
Legislators, senior officials and managers	4,7	5,1		5,1	5,9	6,5	7,0	7,2	7,9	(2,4)	(2,7)	(2,6)	(3,3)
Professionals	9,2	9,2		8,8	9,8	7,3	7,3	6,9	8,4	11,6	11,5	11,0	11,7
Technicians and associate professionals	14,0	13,4		14,2	14,5	13,2	12,3	14,4	13,4	15,1	14,9	14,1	15,9
Clerks	11,1	10,8		11,1	10,5	6,2	6,6	5,1	5,7	17,3	16,0	18,2	16,6
Service workers, and shop and market sales workers	13,8	15,2		14,4	13,2	9,8	11,0	11,0	9,9	18,7	20,3	18,5	17,3
Skilled agricultural and fishery workers	14,9	13,4		15,5	14,8	13,4	11,8	13,4	12,6	16,8	15,3	17,9	17,6
Craft and related trade workers	13,2	12,6		11,7	12,4	21,6	21,1	20,1	20,5	2,7	2,1	1,7	2,3
Plant and machine operators and assemblers	10,7	10,1		10,6	10,6	14,1	13,1	13,9	13,9	6,3	6,3	6,8	6,5
Elementary occupations	7,7	9,5		7,7	7,5	6,8	8,3	6,5	6,6	8,9	10,8	9,1	8,7
Armed forces	(0,7)	(0,8)		(0,8)	(0,7)	(1,2)	(1,3)	(1,4)	(1,2)	.	.	.	.
Other	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.

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

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

	2004.		2005.
	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.
	Total
Total	40,2	40,4	39,5	39,7
Agriculture	34,8	34,7	32,8	33,2
Industry	41,9	41,9	41,6	41,6
Services	41,1	41,3	40,7	41,0
	Men
Total	41,3	41,5	40,8	40,9
Agriculture	36,9	38,1	35,7	36,4
Industry	42,4	42,4	42,2	42,0
Services	41,9	42,0	41,4	41,7
	Women
Total	38,9	38,9	38,0	38,2
Agriculture	32,5	31,0	29,8	29,9
Industry	40,6	40,9	40,2	40,4
Services	40,3	40,5	40,0	40,3

9.   UNEMPLOYED PERSONS, BY DURATION OF JOB SEARCH

	Total, '000				Total, %
	2004.		2005.		2004.		2005.
	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.
Total	253	246	236	222	100	100	100	100
Unemployed persons who found job^1)	((5))	((5))	((5))	((4))	((2,2))	((2,1))	((2,3))	((1,6))
Less than 1 month	((9))	(11)	((8))	(10)	((3,4))	((4,4))	((3,5))	(4,4)
1 – 3 months	37	50	25	41	14,6	20,5	10,5	18,6
4 – 6 months	34	24	30	(17)	13,5	9,7	12,9	7,6
7 – 12 months	43	33	38	29	17,1	13,4	16,1	13,1
13 – 24 months	27	29	36	34	10,9	11,6	15,1	15,4
25 months and over	97	94	94	87	38,3	38,2	39,7	39,2

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.

10.    REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED PERSONS, NOT ILO UNEMPLOYED

	Total, '000			Total, %
	2004.	2005.		2004.		2005.
	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	VII. - XII.		I. - VI.	VII. - XII.
	Total
ILO unemployed persons	246	236	222		100	100	100
Registered with CES	209	198	188		84,8	84,0	84,7
Not registered with CES	37	38	34		15,2	16,0	15,3
Registered unemployed persons	304	319	299		100	100	100
not ILO unemployed	95	121	111		31,3	37,8	37,0
	Men
ILO unemployed persons	115	121	108		100	100	100
Registered with CES	94	100	86		81,9	82,8	79,0
Not registered with CES	21	21	23		18,1	17,2	21,0
Registered unemployed persons	126	134	122		100	100	100
not ILO unemployed	32	34	36		25,3	25,2	30,0
	Women
ILO unemployed persons	131	115	114		100	100	100
Registered with CES	115	98	103		87,4	85,3	90,1
Not registered with CES	17	17	11		12,6	14,7	9,9
Registered unemployed persons	178	185	177		100	100	100
not ILO unemployed	63	87	74		35,5	46,9	41,8

11.    COMPARISON BETWEEN REGISTERED AND ILO UNEMPLOYMENT, BY SEX

	Total				Men				Women
	2004.		2005.		2004.		2005.		2004.		2005.
	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.
Unemployed persons  registered with CES,'000	316	304	319	299	132	126	134	122	184	178	185	177
ILO unemployed persons, '000	253	246	236	222	125	115	121	108	128	131	115	114
ILO unemployment rate, %	13,8	13,8	13,1	12,3	12,4	11,9	12,4	11,0	15,4	16,0	13,9	14,0
Registered unemployment   rate, %^1)	18,4	17,7	18,5	17,3	14,6	14,0	14,7	13,5	22,6	21,8	22,6	21,4

1)    Rates are calculated from the final administrative data.

12.    FINANCIAL SITUATION OF HOUSEHOLD, ACCORDING TO OPINION OF HOUSEHOLD HEAD

%

	2002.	2003.		2004.		2005.
	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.	I. - VI.	VII. - XII.
Very good	2,3	3,1	2,7	3,0	3,1	3,1	3,5
Mostly good	33,8	35,3	36,8	36,6	37,0	37,2	38,3
Mostly bad	28,7	27,9	25,9	26,7	28,1	26,9	26,5
Bad	34,7	33,5	34,4	33,6	31,8	32,4	31,2
Other	0,5	0,2	0,2	0,1	-	0,4	0,5

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

The Labour Force Survey is the most comprehensive survey on labour market characteristics based on the household sample in 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 European Statistical Office (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 Croatia with other countries.

The collected data are significant for purposes of monitoring, measuring and assessing of economic and social trends in 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 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 continuously since 1998, meaning that every month a part of the total sampled households is interviewed. Data are processed and published for each half-year period.

Interviewers visited each household and conducted an interview lasting approximately 20 minutes. According to the Law on State 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 every month during 15 days following the reference week with 160 interviewers engaged for this purpose. Their work is organised and monitored by 28 field supervisors. After the interview, supervisors control 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. Since 1998 the reference week for the Survey has been the last week of the current month without public or any other holidays.

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 inthe 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 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 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 on a representative statistical sample of private households in 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 semi-annual.

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 semi-annual 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 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 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 dinamics, while the Labour Force Survey results are processed and published for a half-year 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 a person who did not perform any work for payment in cash or kind in the reference week, was actively seeeking work in the course of four weeks before the interview and is prepared to start an offered job in the following two weeks. An unemployed person is also the one 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 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 publish 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 the 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 part 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.

Coverage and comparability

The same sample frame was used in the Labour Force Surveys which were carried out from 1996 to 1999: data from the Census 1991. In this period, the parts of Croatian territory with still ongoing war operations at the time when survey was prepared could not be included in the sample frame.

The database of the Croatian Electrical Utility containing data on households spread on the whole Croatian territory was used as a sample frame for 2000 and 2001. Hence, for the first time, the sample and survey results relate to the whole country.

Starting from the first half-year of 2002, the new sample frame has been used for the Labour Force Survey. It is based on the Census 2001 data.

From 2001 to the second half-year 2005, all categories of population were estimated by using the results of the Census 2001.

Methodology of the Survey determines that the population residing in institutions (such as homes, convents, hospitals for long-term treatments, etc.) is not included in the sample frame.

Sample design

The Labour Force Survey is based on the random sample of private households and the sample is separately defined for each half-year period, i.e. there is not a panel part of the sample (households were not repeatedly interviewed in the next half-year period). This kind of sample design does not allow tracking of occurrence through time. 

In an average half-year period, the sample consists of 8 600 dwellings. All members of all private households permanently living in these dwellings are interviewed. In the first half-year of 2005, there were 18 723 persons interviewed in 6 866 households, while there were 18 186 persons interviewed in 6 734 households in the second half-year of 2005.

The random sample of private households is chosen in two stages and the sample design used is a two-stage cluster sampling. Before choosing the sample, the so-called segments are formed. Segments are territorial units formed by grouping the neighbouring enumeration districts, which were established for the purpose of carrying out the Population Census 2001. Segments were stratified into 21 strata: related to 20 counties and one for the City of Zagreb.

In the first stage the random sample of segments is chosen from each stratum and in the second one the random sample of inhabited dwellings within the selected segments. All private households living in the chosen dwellings are interviewed.

The overall non-response rate for the 2^nd half-year of 2005 was 16,6% and the refusal rate was 6,5 %.

The following table shows estimates, standard errors of estimates, 95% confidence intervals and the variation coefficients for the activity rate, employment/population ratio and the unemployment rate.

	Estimate	Standard estimation error	Confidence interval (95%)	Variation coefficient
Activity rate	49,2%	0,5%	[48,3%   ;   50,2%]	1,0%
Employment/population ratio	43,2%	0,5%	[42,2%   ;   44,2%]	1,2%
Unemployment rate	12,3%	0,4%	[11,5%   ;   13,2%]	3,6%

Abbreviations:

CES           Croatian Employment Service

ILO            International Labour Organisation

LFS           Labour Force Survey

NKD 2002.  National Classification of Activities, 2002 version

NN            Narodne novine, official gazette of the Republic of Croatia

Symbols:

-       No occurrence

^.       Not zero but extremely inaccurate estimation

(( ))   Inaccurate estimation

( )     Less accurate estimation