Some 2.39 million people work in Slovakia, with more than half of the figure represented by men. There is a difference of 15.2 percent in the employment rates of men and women. Last year saw an annual rise in employment of 1.4 percent, with the Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Centre (ÚPSVaR) expecting a similar pace of growth in 2015.
The Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) also expects the employment rate to rise to 67.6 percent towards the end of this year. Some 26 percent of all working people are employed in industry.
“Our prediction is optimistic, but cautious,” Vačoková said, as quoted by TASR.
She added that jobs in car plants and their contractors will continue to dominate job offers in 2015. Slovakia is trailing the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania as an investment destination in the past two years, with tighter labour laws as the explanation, according to Vačoková.
No miracles should be expected when it comes to employment in the regions, said Vačoková. While companies can receive assistance or tax relief from the state towards creating jobs in regions with high unemployment, there is a drop in interest among investors. Those that do come are usually car part suppliers.
Some 124,000 secondary school leavers and university graduates are expected to hit the labour market this year.