ZAGREB, June 19 (BV) – Croatia’s booming tourism industry is increasingly relying on workers from neighbouring Western Balkan countries, with tens of thousands arriving each summer to fill labour shortages in hotels, restaurants, construction sites and tourism-related services.
More than 30,000 Serbian citizens are currently employed in seasonal jobs across Croatia, Economy Minister Ante Šušnjar said, highlighting a dramatic shift in regional labour migration patterns.
For many workers from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Montenegro, a few months of work on the Adriatic coast can generate income equivalent to what they would earn in an entire year at home.
“I earned barely 700 euros a month in Serbia. In Croatia I can make more than 2,000 euros during the season, with accommodation and food included,” one seasonal worker told local media.
Croatia’s tourism sector has faced persistent labour shortages for years as many Croatian workers have moved to wealthier European Union countries such as Germany, Austria and Ireland in search of better opportunities.
As a result, employers increasingly recruit workers from neighbouring Balkan countries, attracted by a common language, cultural similarities and significantly higher wages.
According to labour market data cited in the report, experienced chefs can earn between 1,700 and 2,500 euros per month, while waiters typically earn between 1,500 and 2,000 euros, with tips often pushing monthly income above 3,000 euros during peak season.
Receptionists earn around 1,450 euros monthly, while housekeeping staff receive between 1,250 and 1,500 euros. Many employers also provide free accommodation and meals.
Economist Valerija Botrić of the Zagreb Institute of Economics said Croatia’s labour market suffers from a structural mismatch between seasonal demand and workers’ preference for stable year-round employment.
“The opening of European labour markets to Croatian citizens has widened the gap between employers’ needs and the available domestic workforce,” Botrić said.
She added that language remains a key advantage for workers from former Yugoslav countries, making integration easier than for workers arriving from Asia.
Croatian employers increasingly depend on foreign labour to sustain tourism growth, with workers from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Montenegro remaining among the most sought-after recruits despite rising arrivals from Nepal, India and the Philippines.
The trend marks a significant reversal from two decades ago when Croatia itself was primarily a source of labour migration. Today, the country has emerged as one of the most attractive employment destinations in Southeast Europe, driven by tourism, higher wages and growing labour demand.