With so many stories surfacing about the many young Croatians leaving the country in search of a better life elsewhere, let’s take a look at the other side of the same coin.
According to a report by Index.hr on the 21st of February 2017, Krapina-Zagorje County in the north of the country has seen the lowest levels of emigration in the whole of the Republic of Croatia, with a mere 272 residency cancellations in 2016. The highest levels of cancellation were seen in the areas of Zagrebacka and Splitsko-Dalmatinska with 11,479 and 4642 cancellations respectively.
”We would love to see the faces of those who are trying to crack bargains and spread lies that the number of people leaving Zagorje was in the thousands. So much for their credibility. Now, here are the arguments: The unemployment rate in this county has continued to fall since 2014, when it was interrupted by a negative trend in economic activity initiated in 2008 and which reached its peak in 2013, when the number of unemployed rose to 8548. Special thanks go out to artisans and entrepreneurs who, in a time of economic crisis, managed to not only preserve their existing jobs, but at the same time create new ones, which they did by investing in new technology and training of existing staff. They are the most responsible for the excellent results that we have, with a little help from Kapina-Zagorje County”. stated Zeljko Kolar, Mayor of Krapina-Zagorje County.
Kolar noted that in 2013, the average unemployment rate in the whole of Croatia was at 19.3%, while it was 20.5% in Krapina-Zagorje County. It fell rapidly in 2016, with the average unemployment rate in the area dropping to 12.6%, while it was recorded at 14.3% on a national level.
The Mayor concluded his feelings with special significance given to the fact that in the two year period from 2014 to 2016, 2,576 people were newly employed. It is also important to add that the number of insured people of the Croatian Institute for Pension Insurance in the Krapina-Zagorje County was constantly rising. In 2013, there were 33,114 insured persons, with the figure reaching an impressive 35,767 by 2016. The Mayor stated that this is the best indicator of economic activity and to create new employment opportunities.
