Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Unemployment in Slovakia increased in the second quarter of 2025 after four years of quarterly declines, though the indicators remain among the lowest on record. According to data from the Labour Force Sample Survey, the number of unemployed reached 144,500, up by 1,700 people or 1.2 percent compared with the same period last year. The unemployment rate stood at 5.3 percent, maintaining values below 6 percent for the past two years.
The number of unemployed increased by 1.8 percent compared with the first quarter, reaching 148,100 after seasonal adjustment. Despite the uptick, the current level represents the second-lowest unemployment figure since 2021, when the updated statistical methodology was introduced. The lowest level was observed in the second quarter of 2024.
Long-term unemployment continued to dominate the structure, with 62 percent of jobseekers unemployed for at least 12 months. Their number fell slightly year-on-year to 90,100, down 2.3 percent. Almost one-third of all unemployed had never worked before, a group of more than 45,000 people, most of them under 34 years old, although this figure declined by more than 10 percent compared with last year.
By sector, the largest number of unemployed last worked in industry, trade, construction, and public administration. The most notable year-on-year change was among those previously employed in public administration and social security, where the number rose by nearly 60 percent to 7,200.
Regionally, Prešovský kraj recorded the highest number of unemployed, with over 41,000 people, followed by Košický kraj with almost 32,000 and Banskobystrický kraj with 23,000. Year-on-year growth in unemployment was observed in five of the eight regions, with Banskobystrický kraj up by more than 5 percent and Nitriansky kraj increasing by over 0.5 percent. The most significant decrease was in Bratislavský kraj, where unemployment fell by 3.2 percent.
The unemployment rate ranged from 2.1 percent in Bratislavský kraj to 10.6 percent in Prešovský kraj. Five regions—Bratislavský, Trenčiansky, Žilinský, Trnavský, and Nitriansky—reported unemployment rates below 4 percent. Banskobystrický kraj recorded the largest year-on-year deterioration, with the rate rising by half a percentage point to 7.3 percent.
Looking at the first half of 2025 as a whole, unemployment indicators improved year-on-year. The number of unemployed fell by 3,200, or 2.2 percent, to 145,500. The unemployment rate also decreased to 5.3 percent, while the share of long-term unemployed dropped to 63 percent, continuing a gradual downward trend.
