Thursday, 15 January 2026
Average wages in Slovakia continued to grow in November 2025, with pay increases outpacing inflation in the majority of monitored sectors, according to data released by the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. At the same time, the downward trend in employment persisted, particularly in sectors with larger workforces.
In November, the average nominal monthly wage rose year on year in nine out of ten observed sectors. Wage growth ranged from 2.7% in accommodation services to 6.6% in food and beverage service activities. In half of the monitored sectors, nominal wages increased by more than 5%. The only sector to record a decline in nominal wages was the sale and repair of motor vehicles, where pay fell by 1.8%, marking the first such decrease since March 2021.
After adjusting for inflation, real wages increased in eight out of ten sectors. Real wage developments ranged from a decline of 5.3% in the sale and repair of motor vehicles to growth of 2.8% in food and beverage service activities. Real pay also rose by more than 2% in retail trade and selected market services.
Looking at the cumulative period from January to November 2025, nominal wages increased in all ten monitored sectors, while real wage growth was recorded in nine of them. Over this eleven-month period, real wage developments ranged from a 1.2% decline in selected market services to growth of 4.5% in food and beverage service activities.
Employment trends remained weaker. In November 2025, the number of employed persons declined year on year in six out of ten sectors. The sharpest drop was recorded in wholesale trade, where employment fell by 3.1%. Declines of up to 2% were also observed in selected market services, retail trade, construction, industry, and transport and storage.
By contrast, employment increased in several service-oriented sectors. Accommodation recorded the strongest year-on-year growth, with employment rising by 5.4%. Smaller increases, ranging from 0.5% to 3.6%, were also seen in information and communication, the sale and repair of motor vehicles, and food and beverage service activities.
For the period from January to November 2025 as a whole, employment declined year on year in five out of ten monitored sectors. The most pronounced reductions, exceeding 2%, were recorded in wholesale trade and in transport and storage. Accommodation remained the main sector with sustained employment growth, recording an increase of more than 2%.
The Statistical Office noted that the figures are based on monthly surveys, cover a limited group of ten sectors, and remain preliminary.
