The health sector has been in a critical situation for several years
Our hospitals lack approximately 3,000 doctors and more than 10,000 nurses. During the pandemic, the situation worsened. 2,000 working doctors are of retirement age and more than 2,000 Slovaks are currently working in the Czech Republic. One of the main problems is the non-recognition of diplomas from foreign countries, which significantly limits the possibilities of obtaining new qualified workers.
Restaurants and hotels lack approximately 20 000 employees
The pandemic has seriously affected the HORECA sector not only with a drop in sales, but also with employment. The uncertainty surrounding the situation led to a mass transfer of workers to other industries. Some of them moved into the food industry or retail, but many started working in completely different industries. After the end of the pandemic, most of these workers did not return to work in restaurants and hotels.
The solution could be reinforcements from abroad
The lack of domestic workers could be partly solved by employees from abroad. In 2023, over 100,000 foreigners were employed in Slovakia. Residents from Ukraine, Serbia and Romania have the largest representation. Most of them work in mechanical engineering as machine operators and auxiliary workers. It is these manual positions that make up more than two thirds of vacancies that employers have difficulty filling.
Western Slovakia is particularly badly affected. The most critical situation is in the districts of Nitra and Bratislava, where there are approximately three to four vacancies for one unemployed person. For employees lacking the requisite education and technical skills, it becomes crucial that companies are willing to invest further in their education and skill development.
