Citizens aged 65 and older make up less than two percent of all employees in Croatia. However, their number has doubled in the past three years. Most of them work alongside their pensions, but an increasing number have no plans to retire even after meeting the eligibility criteria. The state rewards them with up to a 27 percent higher pension.
Croatia has a total of 30,199 workers over the age of 65, constituting 1.8 percent of the total workforce, which may seem insignificant, but it is double the figure from three years ago. The ratio of employed men to women over 65 is two to one, as reported by Mirovina.hr.
A considerable portion of them has not yet considered retirement. Among the 30,199 workers over 65 in Croatia, many are retirees working part-time or full-time, with their pension payments suspended. In September, there were 28,165 retirees working part-time. It is important to note that there are still many retirees working part-time who are younger than 65, meaning they are in early or family pensions or some special pensions allowing them to retire earlier.
The Croatian Institute for Pension Insurance statistics by age groups does not differentiate whether older citizens work full or part-time, or under fixed-term or indefinite contracts. However, some information is available about the industries where those over 65 work, regardless of whether they are retirees or still active in the workforce.
The largest number of workers over 65, over 4,500, are employed in professional, scientific, and technical activities. More than 4,300 work in trade, and the processing industry ranks third with 3,326 workers, followed by construction with 2,839 employees. The fifth position, shared by several industries, each with just over 2,000 employees, includes transportation, tourism, administrative and support services, and health and social care.
Those who continue working after meeting the eligibility criteria for retirement will be rewarded. For each month worked beyond the age of 65 (or earlier for women, as they can currently retire at 63 years and 3 months), the starting factor increases by 0.45 percent. Over a maximum of five years, this results in a 27 percent higher pension. To qualify for the bonus, the retiree must have at least 35 years of effective work experience.
Source : Dubrovnik Times
