THE NUMBER of employed people in Slovakia fell by 0.8 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2004 to 2.15 million. Slovakia is still lagging behind its neighbours, Hospodárske noviny wrote.
While the EU unemployment average in July reached 9 percent, Slovakia's rate hit 18.9 percent, according to data published by the Statistical Office. Slovakia's employment rate is at 56 percent.
