Tomas: Unemployment Rate Fell to 4.03 percent in March 2026

Bratislava, 20 April (TASR) - Unemployment in Slovakia declined in all regions in March 2026, with the most significant drops recorded in Presov and Zilina regions, while the proportion of available jobseekers of productive age fell for the second month in a row to stabilise at 4.03 percent, Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Minister Erik Tomas (Voice-SD) told a news conference on Monday. When compared with January, there were 14,136 fewer people registered at labour offices in March. "Almost 80 percent of these people re-entered the labour market," stressed Tomas. The number of unemployed people in high-risk age groups, namely those under 29 and over 50, has declined as well. Unemployment fell in 73 districts, while Rimavska Sobota (Banska Bystrica region) remained the only district with an unemployment rate of more than 10 percent. In March, there was a total of 140,000 job vacancies in Slovakia, which Tomas described as a new all-time high, mostly driven by the administrative and support services sectors (28,000), manufacturing (25,000), and transport and warehousing (22,000). He added that 150,000 foreigners are working in Slovakia, with two-thirds of them coming from non-EU countries. In the first quarter of 2026, according to Tomas, 23 mass lay-offs were reported, compared to 19 during the same period of last year. However, such lay-offs do not always take place as announced, he said. "In the first quarter of last year, 1,125 people were actually made redundant, while in the same period of this year it was 85. Last year, 6,400 such jobs were reported, but ultimately 2,900 people were laid off," explained Tomas. According to a Social Policy Institute (ISP) forecast, unemployment will continue to decline. "Assuming that typical seasonal patterns persist, it's possible to expect further declines in unemployment in the coming months, particularly in April and May, when seasonal factors are set to reach their peak," stated analysts at ISP. They warned about the possible negative impact of current global factors on future developments on the labour market, however. jrg/df