Zagreb, Nov 10 (IANS): Croatia is grappling with a labour shortage of approximately 230,000 workers, with the highest demand in healthcare and social welfare, according to a report released by the Croatian Employment Service on Sunday.

The healthcare and social welfare sector faces a gap of 37,080 workers, which is followed closely by the education sector, where there is a demand for 32,722 workers. The manufacturing industry ranks third, with a shortfall of over 29,000 workers.

Low birth rates and brain drain have been the main reasons for the acute labour shortage in Croatia, a country with a population less than four million, Xinhua news agency reported.

Croatian Minister of the Interior Davor Bozinovic said earlier this month that by the end of October, there had been more than 120,000 foreign workers from non-European countries and 10,000 from European Union member states.

The report highlights that the unemployment rate in Croatia has fallen to a record low, with just over 87,000 unemployed people nationwide, a level not seen since the early 1990s.