A shortage of qualified workers will be the main problem vis-á-vis the Slovak labour market in the future, analysts warned on March 18. The tension on Slovakia's labour market could be eased if people return from working abroad, the TASR newswire wrote.
"So far we've witnessed the opposite, however. Around 177,000 people worked outside Slovakia last year, which is 19,000 more than the year before," said Slovenská Sporiteľňa bank analyst Michal Mušák.
The number of Slovaks working abroad could even increase further when Germany and Austria open their job markets fully.
"On the other hand, the acceleration in the growth of salaries and their converging to the same level may bring back expatriates who are working in neighbouring countries," added Mušák.
Although the unemployment rate in Slovakia fell from 13.4 percent in 2006 to 11 percent last year, it remains the highest in the EU.
"As many as 60 percent of unemployed Slovaks haven't had a job for two or more years, which will make it difficult for them to land employment in the future as well," said Musak. Unlike in the past, however, the number of long-term unemployed people has been going down along with the general unemployment rate, he added. TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
