Joblessness at a new low in Slovenia

The total of people registered as unemployed in Slovenia fell to a new low in December, a month characterised by a seasonal increase in the number of registered job seekers, since 1990, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

At the end of last year 47,038 unemployed were registered with the Employment Service. This is 3% more than the month before but 2.7% fewer than a year ago for the lowest December total since 1990.

"Very high employment and the lowest unemployment rate in the history of independent Slovenia were recorded in 2024," Employment Service director Greta Metka Barbo Škerbinc said as she presented the figures on 8 January.

She noted that as many as around a million employed people were recorded in certain months in Slovenia, a country whose estimated population is around 2.1 million people.

The record low monthly jobless total was observed in June, at 43,369, and the monthly average for last year was 45,982 unemployed persons, 5.6% fewer than in 2023.

Staff shortages in certain segments

Throughout last year, 62,173 people registered with the service, which is 4.2% more than in 2023. The number of job seekers whose fixed-term employment expired was lower, while there were more redundant workers and workers from companies that went into receivership.

Last year, 63,488 people were deleted from the records, of whom 40,629 found a job. This is 1.5% fewer than in 2023.

"There was great demand for workers throughout the year," Barbo Škerbinc said. Employers continued to have difficulties finding staff, but the situation was alleviated in the second half of the year.

The number of reported vacancies decreased by 3.9% to 157,384 last year.

Another Employment Service official, Sanja Belec pointed to staff shortages in certain segments, in particular in education and social care.

More foreign workers

The Employment Service also noted a high increase in the number of foreigners among the active working population since 2016.

The share of foreign workers has increased to 15.4% from around 6% in 2016. "At the end of October, there were 147,000 foreigners in the active working population, so they represent an important segment," said Barbo Škerbinc.

Last year, the Employment Service issued almost 44,000 work permits for foreigners, with workers from Bosnia-Herzegovina still representing the most. An increase in the number of permits for workers from Asia has also been recorded.

Most foreigners get employed in Slovenia in construction, manufacturing, transport, storage, catering, commerce, and maintenance and repair of motor vehicles.

According to the latest available data (for October 2024), the active working population stood at 947,770, which is 0.3% more than in September and 1.1% more year-on-year.

The registered unemployment rate in October 2024 was 4.6% or 0.2 percentage points more than in September and 0.2 points less than in October 2023.