Unemployment in Slovakia is steadily declining (the registered unemployment rate reached an all-time low of 5.94% in December 2017) and companies are finding it increasingly difficult to fill some positions. The Ministry of Labour is responding to this situation.
More and more jobs are being created that employers can’t fill
Out of the currently more than 70 thousand vacancies, 10% are jobs that our employers cannot fill without the help of foreigners. The situation is worst in the automotive industry, where 14 thousand new positions are expected to be created by 2020, 70% of which will be very difficult to fill.
The Ministry of Labour has prepared a measure to help make it easier to employ foreigners. They will draw up a list of professions that are in short supply and, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice, prepare measures to speed up the arrival of foreigners for these positions. Employers welcome the Labour Ministry’s measure as it will allow them to respond more flexibly to changes in the market. They consider the current conditions for the employment of foreigners to be very inefficient and lengthy.
Current conditions of employment of foreigners in Slovakia
If a company currently wants to employ a foreigner, it must follow the following procedure:
At least thirty days before employing a foreigner, the company must report the vacancy to the labour office – only if no one applies for the position can they proceed with the hiring of the foreigner. He or she then applies for temporary residence, which the police decide on within 90 days.
