Survey: More Than Half of Employees Fear Lay-offs and Salary Cuts

Bratislava, 10 January (TASR) - Most working people in Slovakia view the government's consolidation measures negatively and fear their impact on net incomes and the labour market, according to a public opinion poll conducted for the Maxin's Group personnel agency at the end of 2025 on a sample of 1,050 economically active respondents. The increase in taxes and levies that came into effect at the beginning of January 2026 and have affected employees' net incomes is considered unfair to working people by 73 percent of the respondents. Eleven percent of the people polled see it as a necessary measure to stabilise public finances. Another 13 percent don't understand the move, but feel that ordinary employees will once again bear the brunt of it. The survey results point to growing frustration among employees. "People feel that consolidation will affect them directly, without them having any real opportunity to influence the situation. This sense of injustice could also be translated into lower motivation and a greater willingness to seek alternatives," said Katarina Garajova from Maxin's Group. Around 55 percent of the respondents believe that government measures may lead to lay-offs and salary cuts. Another 31 percent fear that the situation will motivate people to look for work abroad. Eight percent of the respondents don't expect any significant changes. The survey showed that tax and levy increases, or a reduction in net income respectively, is seen as the biggest personal problem associated with consolidation (by 46 percent). This was followed by concerns about price increases and inflation, cited by 39 percent of the respondents. "People's behaviour will increasingly focus on security and reserves. For employers, this means that the issue of salaries and benefits will become even more important than before," added Garajova. am/df