Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.2478/otmcj-2020-0019
Construction labor and skill shortages in Croatia: causes and response strategies
Anita Ceric
; Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Ivona Ivic
orcid.org/0000-0002-8442-1683
; Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The construction labor is crucial to the construction industry, which is known globally for its creation of
jobs at different skill and professional levels. The world’s
construction industry is currently experiencing a rapid
recovery after the 2008 global crisis. This positive growth
is also noticeable in Croatia. Nevertheless, the industry
is experiencing a considerable shortage of skilled labor.
First, this paper investigates the main causes of the current
condition of the labor market through an extensive literature review and construction market analysis. Second,
the case study of the Croatian construction labor market
is presented. The longitudinal study of official statistical
data shows that the total number of workers employed
over the last 10 years has decreased significantly. There
has been an increase in the number of unskilled workers
and a decrease in the number of all other types of workers
between 2016 and 2017. Following the literature review and
market analysis, the response strategies for the problem of
labor shortage in Croatian construction are provided and
discussed.
Keywords
construction labor; labor shortage; skill shortage; Croatian construction industry; Croatian labor market
Hrčak ID:
243176
URI
Publication date:
1.2.2020.
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