Survey: Persistent lack of domestic workers in labour market

         There is a persistent shortage of domestic labour in the Slovak labour market, which is forcing companies to raise salaries, the recruitment agency Grafton Slovakia has reported based on a recent survey mapping salaries across Slovakia.
        According to the results of the survey, the average gross monthly salary rose by 9.5 percent, but fell by 4.9 percent year-on-year after accounting for inflation. At the same time, the issue of economic migration will need to be addressed due to the lack of domestic workers, the agency warned.
        "Salary increases are not enough to cover the rate of inflation, so the consequence is a fall in real salaries and the growth of fluctuation. This will negatively affect the standard of living and cause partial stagnation of the market for goods and services," said Grafton head Martin Malo, adding that not all companies are able to cope with increased costs in the long term. Some of them will have to lay off some key staff as a result.
        Due to the lack of domestic workers, labour market attention across all segments is turning to labour from abroad, especially from countries outside the EU. According to the survey, Slovak employers have positive experience with them. However, Malo noted that the recruitment of these people is hampered by poor economic migration rules and a high level of unreliable providers of foreign workers.
        Malo opined that the biggest problems include a long visa process, weak competitiveness, low salaries and inferior attractiveness compared to Western Europe. "Without state support, recruitment of foreign workers will continue to stagnate," he remarked. (TASR)