Croatology, Vol. 14 No. 1, 2023.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.59323/k.14.1.2
Contemporary Migrations and Workforce: Demographic and Labor-economic Profile of Croatian Emigration in Ireland
Monika Komušanac
orcid.org/0000-0002-3131-6679
; Faculty of Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb
Abstract
According to estimates, there are currently between 24,000 and 25,000 Croats living in Ireland who emigrated after Croatia joined the European Union
in 2013. The most intensive emigration from Croatia to Ireland was registered in 2017, when approximately 4,900 PPS numbers were issued to Croatian citizens. The trend in the number of PPS allocations issued to Croatian citizensnfrom 2013 to 2021, according to the publications of the Central Statistics Office, indicated a 1.8 times greater scale of emigration from Croatia to Ireland than Croatian statistical sources and is considered the most relevant indicator of net immigration from Croatia to Ireland. The age profile of emigrants to Ireland does not differ significantly from the classic recent emigrants from Croatia - they are mostly emigrants who are currently younger and of mature working age, i.e. between 30 and 35, and 40 and 50 years old, and have lived in Ireland between 6 and 10 years. Given that standard qualitative studies of emigration from Croatia are based on the definition of the motive for departure and assessment of possible return, a survey was conducted using an online survey method on a convenient sample of 145 emigrants who currently live and work in Ireland, with the aim of defining their average labor and economic profile. The main results indicated the characteristics of specific workplaces and working conditions, of which the most important ones will be singled out below. The average time needed to find a job in Ireland is 21.1 days, and most respondents (2/3) are currently employed in service activities, healthcare, administration and the ICT sector. The majority of respondents (82 %) had a job in Croatia, which confirms that emigration is not solely economically determined and that having a job is not a prerequisite for staying in Croatia. When marking the most important items when choosing a job, the respondents ranked salary and advancement opportunities as the two most important factors, while the least important determinant was a job “in the profession”. By comparing the amount of salaries, it was observed that the average monthly income in Ireland is two to three times higher than in Croatia, as well as the expected basic living expenses (housing and communal services), which is why 2/3 of the respondents have to set aside between 20 % and 40 % of monthly earnings. Although the differences
are relatively small, respondents showed greater satisfaction with the quality of life and standard of living than with their current job in Ireland, which can be explained by the ratio of monthly income and basic living expenses, but also by non-economic factors such as the organization of society, the way of ma-
nagement, functioning of institutions, administrative relief, etc. In the end, the research confirmed the uncertainty of return for 36 % of respondents, a smaller proportion of respondents reduce the perspective of return to the fulfillment of certain criteria, such as obtaining the conditions for a pension in Ireland (23 %) or saving a significant amount of money (13 %), while 28 % have no intention to return at all.
Keywords
Croatia; Ireland; emigration; work force; employment
Hrčak ID:
306400
URI
Publication date:
1.7.2023.
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