📊 Key Unemployment Statistics (October 2025)
According to official data, the Slovak Republic recorded a registered unemployment rate of 4.7% in October 2025.
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📈 Year-on-Year Dynamics: October 2025 vs. October 2024
A comparison of key indicators with the previous year reveals important trends in the economy and the structure of the labour market:
| Indicator | October 2025 | October 2024 | Year-on-Year Change | Implication |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.7% | 4.5% | + 0.2 p.p. | Slight deterioration of the overall situation, slowdown in economic growth. |
| Number of Job Seekers (Absolute) | 165,877 | 158,500 | + 7,377 persons | Increase in the number of people registered with labour offices. |
| Long-Term Unemployed | 61,096 | 63,500 | – 2,404 persons | Continuing success in targeted employment of the most vulnerable group. |
| Job Vacancies | 116,000 | 110,500 | + 5,500 positions | Growth in demand for the workforce, deepening of the skills mismatch problem. |
Deeper Analysis of Changes
Increase in Total Unemployment (+0.2 p.p.)
The slight inflation of the unemployment rate compared to October 2024 signals that the economy is generating jobs at a slower pace or that more new applicants are entering the market (e.g., due to the termination of temporary work).
This increase is consistent with the statistic that up to 60% of districts recorded a year-on-year rise in unemployment, suggesting that the slowdown is not isolated but has a broad regional distribution.
Decrease in Long-Term Unemployment (-2,404 persons)
Despite the overall increase in registered job seekers, the drop in the number of long-term unemployed is a key positive outcome. It points to the effectiveness of government activation programmes and retraining focused on this high-risk group, which is the most difficult to employ.
Growth in the Number of Job Vacancies (+5,500 positions)
The simultaneous growth of job vacancies to 116,000 along with a slight increase in total unemployment points to the deepening of the structural “Mismatch” problem (Skills Imbalance). Companies are actively seeking workers, but the registered job seekers lack the required qualification (professional or regional).
In practice, this means, for example, that the high demand for IT specialists in Bratislava cannot be satisfied by the registered long-term unemployed in Rimavská Sobota.
🗺️ Regional Polarisation of the Labour Market
Although the year-on-year comparison shows a slight deterioration in the overall situation, regional differences remain the most pronounced problem.
Districts with the highest unemployment rates (e.g., Rimavská Sobota with 13.7%) continue to struggle with chronic problems, and their unemployment rate is manifold higher than in districts with the lowest unemployment (e.g., Piešťany with 2.4%).
Implication: In high-unemployment regions, the support for investment and the creation of low-threshold jobs is crucial, while in low-unemployment regions (such as the Bratislava and Trnava regions), the priority is to address the shortage of skilled labour and simplify the import of foreign workers.
💼 Conclusion: Stability with the Need for a Response
October 2025 confirms the relative stability of the labour market with a low unemployment rate of 4.7%. However, a deeper analysis reveals concerning signals of a year-on-year increase in registered job seekers (by 7,377 persons), which may foreshadow upcoming economic challenges. While the fight against long-term unemployment is yielding results, the priority for the upcoming period is the structural adjustment of the qualifications of registered job seekers to the dynamically growing supply of job vacancies.