The end of the year is a time for reflection, and 2025 has been a year of tension for Slovakia’s labor market, according to Zuzana Rumiz from the Slovak Association of Personnel Agencies in the Ranné Správy program. While unemployment remains low and the number of job vacancies stayed above 100,000, early signs of slower growth appeared at the end of the year, driven by “evident state consolidation measures and rising company costs.” Rumiz noted that although the current rise in unemployment is mild, the outlook for the first and second quarters of 2026 “does not look particularly positive.”
Rumiz also highlighted the country’s dependence on exports, especially to Germany. “When Germany suffers, we feel it through our exports,” she said, pointing to challenges in the automotive sector, including tariffs, reduced demand, competition from Chinese automakers, and sectoral transformation. Rising costs from state measures and other economic factors are prompting companies to reconsider which projects to implement, postpone, or cancel, focusing more on optimization than growth. Additional constraints have also arisen from disrupted supply chains and the introduction of new technologies in some sectors.
Source: STVR
