Every year, thousands of citizens from Bosnia and Herzegovina leave for seasonal work in neighboring countries, primarily Croatia and Montenegro. At the same time, the domestic labor market is facing a labor shortage, which creates a long-term and complex problem without a clear solution.
Since the end of last year, Croatian hoteliers and restaurateurs have intensified preparations for the summer tourist season, looking for workers of various profiles. The greatest demand is for waiters, cooks, kitchen assistants and maids. For many young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, this represents an opportunity for additional income during schooling.
“It’s a great chance to take some money over the summer, what not. It’s an immediate way out,” Mak, who is just finishing high school and preparing for the season, told Oslobođenje.
Nineteen-year-old Hamza Trbović has a similar opinion.
“It’s very smart because they go, they try to earn money, to have money. They can work here and I don’t know why such opportunities don’t open up for us, why people don’t offer such opportunities, so they have to go abroad to make ends meet, let’s say to Croatia. They are paid more, so that’s why they go”, Hamza believes.
According to the available data, the largest number of seasonal tourists come to Croatia precisely from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, given that incomes and working conditions in Croatian tourism are significantly more favorable than in most of Bosnia and Herzegovina. cities. During the season, employers on the Adriatic offer monthly salaries that often exceed 2,000 euros, with accommodation and meals provided, which is an additional incentive for workers from the region.
However, there are also those who believe that it is possible to make money in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Honestly, you can make money here. This year I worked and I earned approximately what I would get for the season. Here they don’t see it as a season, they would go out here and have fun, nobody would work. If they worked here like they do in the season, if they didn’t go out at all, it would be different, they would earn much more,” said student Muhamed Bureković.
This year, more than 30,000 workers from Bosnia and Herzegovina are going to Croatia for seasonal work, mostly for already established jobs in which they see a safer and more profitable source of income. There is also interest in other Western European countries. In 2025, 12,295 work permits were issued for BiH citizens in Slovenia, which is slightly less than in the previous period. A significant drop in departures to Germany was also recorded, by as much as 70 percent compared to previous years.
“Currently, we mediate in Slovenia for all professions and Germany for people with a high school diploma. By the way, the labor market in Slovenia is mostly looking for workers from BiH in the construction profession, then those in the processing industry, and in Germany only people with a high school medical degree,” explained Boris Pupić from the BiH Labor and Employment Agency.
As stated, despite the large number of unemployed, the labor market is undergoing changes and is becoming more open, but also more selective when it comes to interest in certain types of jobs.
“No matter how much we do, there will always be jobs that our workers don’t want. This is a trend that has been present in Europe for a long time. I also experienced it ten, fifteen years ago in Slovenia, in one of our companies, where Slovenians did not want to do these jobs. We had to hire people from Ukraine and the East, who wanted it, and that is solved by importing, hiring foreigners, those who find it interesting, attractive,” explained Adnan Smailbegović.
He believes that it is necessary to create measures that would make the domestic labor market more attractive, especially for the younger population.
“Especially for young people who are entering the labor market, who are starting to work. Some programs must be made to keep them and how to get a job,” points out Smailbegović.
The share of foreign workers in the total number of employees in BiH is still less than one percent. It is emphasized that the country first of all needs a highly qualified workforce, while priority is still given to local workers when hiring, reports Oslobođenje.
