Analysis of the Importance of Crafts and Freelance Businesses in the Development of Wood Industry

The paper presents the structure of revenue and employment in crafts and freelance businesses in timber and timber products processing (DD20) and furniture manufacture (DN36) of the Republic of Croatia. The data refer to the period from 2002 to 2006 and are presented separately for each county and for the state as a whole. The overall results are juxtaposed in relation to the revenue of the companies in these industrial branches. Trends in the number of registered companies, as well as crafts and freelance businesses are also presented. According to the research results, there was a significant decrease in the revenue of crafts and freelance businesses in the monitored industrial branches in the last year. There was also a falling trend in the total number of craftsmen engaged in wood products and furniture manufacture in the last year of investigation. Despite this, total revenue and employment values in timber processing and furniture manufacture show a rising trend during the monitored years.