Stats: Unemployment Rate Down to 5.3 percent in First Quarter of This Year

Bratislava, 3 June (TASR) - The number of unemployed people in Slovakia amounted to 146,000 in the first quarter of this year, down by 8,200, or more than 5 percent year-on-year (y-o-y), the Statistics Office reported on Tuesday. The unemployment rate in terms of the proportion of unemployed among the economically active population thus decreased to 5.3 percent in the monitored period. "Unemployment in the first three months of this year was close to an all-time low, with Slovakia reporting a lower figure for the last three decades only in two quarters of last year," specified the office. After seasonal adjustments, the number of unemployed rose by 0.1 percent to 144,800 when compared to the previous quarter. Almost two thirds of unemployed people had been out of work for more than a year. Their number reached 93,400, down 9,000 y-o-y. The most significant drop in the number of unemployed was posted in the youngest age category (between 15 and 24 years), which went down by 25 percent. Conversely, the number of unemployed in two pre-retirement age categories (55+) increased in the first quarter of 2025. The highest numbers of jobless people last worked in industry, trade, construction and public administration. The most significant y-o-y increase in the number of unemployed was seen among those who last worked in public administration and social welfare (+3,400 people). More than 32 percent of the unemployed (47,600 people) were people who have never worked, including school-leavers. The number of unemployed went down in six of the eight regions of Slovakia, with the most significant drops being posted in Kosice (-5,000 people) and Trnava (-2,300) regions, which both reported double-digit declines. The highest unemployment figures persisted in Presov, Kosice and Banska Bystrica regions, with the number of jobless people in these three regions making up two thirds of the country's unemployed. ko/df