LABOUR offices have been notified by 10 companies since the beginning of November that they plan to make large-scale lay-offs in which almost 1,500 people could lose their jobs. Ján Sihelský, the director general of the Office for Labour, Social Affairs and Family told the SITA newswire that another 550 jobs are threatened.
The lay-offs will affect companies in Námestovo, Nitra, Žilina, Senica, Revúca, Prešov, Dunajská Streda, Ružomberok, Trnava and Partizánske. Sihelský declined to reveal the names of the companies involved.
"So far, we are not in a situation where the Slovak labour market cannot cope with this," said Sihelský.
However, he admitted the number of dismissals has been rising. He expects further developments by key employers in the first or second quarter of next year. Sihelský named the engineering industry as the most threatened sector, followed by the electrical engineering and automotive industries; however, textiles, footwear, and glass processing firms could also face problems.
