Unemployment rate in Slovakia

Slovakia's unemployment rate is the share of jobless people in the labour force. Published by the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic from the Labour Force Survey, it is the main gauge of the country's labour market.

Derived from the Labour Force Survey of a sample of households, on ILO criteria: someone without a job, available for work and actively seeking is counted as unemployed. A separate registered jobless count is also published by the labour office (ÚPSVR), giving a different figure.

A strong labour market supports household consumption and income. In an open, industry-heavy economy like Slovakia's, and within the euro area, its path feeds the ECB's read on the bloc and national fiscal policy.

It is worth distinguishing whether the rate moves because of labour demand or shifts in the labour force. Being survey-based, it is subject to sampling error and revisions, and can differ markedly from the ÚPSVR registered count.