AmCham Slovakia

The Transport, Logistics and Automotive sector is becoming the main driving force

• 29 % of Slovak employers expect an increase in the number of employees, 13 % expect a decrease and 55 % do not expect any change, while 3 % of employers were undecided on this topic.
• Based on these data, a Net Employment Outlook (NEO) in Slovakia, adjusted for seasonal fluctuations, is 16 % for the third quarter of 2025.
• The highest Net Employment Outlook is in Bratislava 23 %, the lowest 8 % in Eastern Slovakia. In Western Slovakia is a Net Employment Outlook 13 %, in Central Slovakia 11 %.
• Companies in the Transport, Logistics and Automotive (44 %) and Financials and Real Estate (40 %) sectors are expecting the strongest hiring intentions.
• Globally, employers in U.A.E. (48 %), India (42 %) and Costa Rica (41 %) have the strongest hiring plans. The weakest hirings are expected in Argentina (3 %), Hungary (5 %) and Romania (6 %).

Bratislava, 17 June 2025 - The most competitive sector in Slovakia is its all-important Transport, Logistics & Automotive with an outlook of 44, showing an increase of 15 points since the last quarter and 41 points since this time last year.

In Q3 2025, employers anticipate moderate employment expectations in Slovakia with a Net Employment Outlook (NEO) of 16 points. The employment outlook has increased by 5 points compared to the previous quarter but has decreased by 1 point compared to this time last year. Globally, Slovakia ranks in the bottom half for its employment expectations, 8 points below the global average.

The global seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook (NEO) dropped to 24, reflecting a 1-point slip from last quarter, although the figure is still 2 points above this time last year. This means that while global hiring is still resilient, it has slowed down from last quarter.

“Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, employers in Slovakia remain optimistic going into the third quarter of 2025. A significant increase in hiring intentions in the Bratislava region, where the Net Employment Outlook has reached 23%, clearly indicates that the capital continues to be the engine of employment growth. The transport, logistics and automotive sector is also experiencing strong growth, emerging as a key player in terms of competitiveness. We view the positive development in this sector as a sign of market recovery and renewed business confidence in continued growth,” said Zuzana Rumiz, General Manager ManpowerGroup Slovakia.

THE NEO ACROSS SECTORS

Employers in Slovakia across 8 of 9 sectors expect increasing staffing levels in Q3 2025, while 1 sector expects a decrease. Compared to the previous quarter, hiring intentions have increased in 5 sectors and decreased in 4 sectors.

The most competitive sector in Slovakia is its all-important Transport, Logistics & Automotive sector with an outlook of 44, showing an increase of 15 points since the last quarter and 41 points since this time last year.

The second most prominent sector is Financials and Real Estate (40 %), showing an increase of 51 points since the last quarter. The Energy and Utilities (35 %) ranked third, improving by 43 percentage points compared to the previous quarter.

THE NEO ACROSS REGIONS

Employers in Slovakia across all 4 regions anticipate an increase in staffing levels in the third quarter of 2025. Since the previous quarter, job markets have increased in 2 regions and decreased in 2.

The most competitive region in Slovakia is the Bratislava region with a NEO of 23, showing an increase of 24 points since the previous quarter and 8 points since this time last year.

THE NEO ACROSS S ORGANIZATION SIZES

Employers in Slovakia across 5 of 6 organization sizes anticipate increasing staffing levels in Q3 2025, while 1 organization size anticipates a decrease. Since the previous quarter, staffing environments have increased in 3 organization sizes and decreased in 3. Employers in Slovakia within medium organizations of 50-249 employees show the most optimism with a NEO of 31, an increase of 25 points since the previous quarter and 14 points since this time last year.

GLOBAL OVERVIEW

• The global seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook (NEO) dropped to 24, reflecting a 1-point slip from last quarter, although the figure is still 2 points above this time last year. This means that while global hiring is still resilient, it has slowed down from last quarter.
• Globally, employers in U.A.E. (48 %), India (42 %) and Costa Rica (41 %) have the strongest hiring plans. The weakest hirings are expected in Argentina (3 %), Hungary (5 %) and Romania (6 %).
• Globally the Information Technology sector has the strongest hiring prospects (36 %), followed by Financials & Real Estate (28 %) and Industrial and Materials (26 %). The Energy & Utilities sector is the weakest performer (14 %).

THE FUTURE OF WORK IN THE AGE OF AI: HOW TO TRANSFORM TEAMS IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD

According to the latest global surveys conducted by ManpowerGroup, technology leaders and employers worldwide are grappling with the rapid changes brought about by artificial intelligence. AI is now permeating every aspect of business – from recruitment and team management to strategic planning – and is placing new demands on employees and their skillsets. While fears of large-scale job displacement by AI have yet to materialize, both companies and individuals are feeling significant pressure to adapt. More than 80% of CIOs and IT leaders report changes in hiring patterns because of AI and technological advancements.

Cybersecurity and AI: Priorities for 2025

The CIO Outlook 2025: Key Priorities for Tech Leaders report identifies cybersecurity as the top challenge facing today's technology leaders. As many as 41% of CIOs cite security as their primary concern, followed by challenges related to AI (19%) and technology optimization (15%). Over three-quarters of companies (77%) plan to increase their investment in cybersecurity soon.

Meanwhile, generative AI has emerged as a key trend, though tech leaders are approaching it with a degree of caution. While 36% view it as a revolutionary technology that still requires further development, 33% remain uncertain about its value. Only 10% of CIOs report having fully integrated AI across their organizations.

High Expectations, Inadequate Training

Employers expect their people to be technologically literate and capable of working effectively with AI tools. However, the reality reveals significant gaps in employee training. According to ManpowerGroup's research, only 28% of organizations regularly improve their IT staff in emerging technologies.

The importance of so-called AI literacy is also growing – not only the ability to work with AI, but to understand its limitations, risks, and ethical implications. Employees who possess this competence have significantly better career advancement prospects, according to ManpowerGroup data. In some organizations, AI proficiency is even becoming a formal component of performance evaluations.

“In both the Slovak and global context, we are seeing that artificial intelligence is becoming a genuine transformational force. As many as 58 % of employers in Slovakia are already using AI tools in hiring, training and onboarding processes. At the same time, a third of them recognize that AI cannot replace essential human skills such as ethical decision-making, problem-solving, strategic thinking or communication abilities. These so-called ‘power skills’ are increasingly emerging as a new competitive advantage in the labor market,” said Zuzana Rumiz, General Manager ManpowerGroup Slovakia.

ABOUT THE SURVEY

The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey is the most comprehensive, forward-looking employment survey of its kind, used globally as a key economic indicator. The Net Employment Outlook is derived by taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting from this the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity. Full results of the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook survey are available at https://go.manpowergroup.com/meos. Detailed results for Slovakia can be found at www.manpower.sk/magazin/tag/prieskumy.

In the context of the labour market survey, 523 Slovak employers were asked: “How do you expect the total number of employees in your company to change in the following quarter by the end of September compared to the current quarter?”

ABOUT MANPOWERGROUP

ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing, and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for hundreds of thousands of organizations every year, providing them with skilled talent while finding meaningful, sustainable employment for millions of people across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands – Manpower, Experis, and Talent Solutions – creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across more than 75 countries and territories and has done so for over 70 years. We are recognized consistently for our diversity – as a best place to work for Women, Inclusion, Equality, and Disability, and in 2025 ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the 16th year – all confirming our position as the brand of choice for in-demand talent. www.manpowergroup.com

MANPOWERGROUP SLOVAKIA

In Slovakia, ManpowerGroup takes care of the HR and payroll agenda of more than 1,100 employees every month, who work for ManpowerGroup's clients. Thanks to its network of five offices, ManpowerGroup finds 3,000 new employees for 350 clients annually. For more information, visit www.manpower.sk.

Unless otherwise stated, all data are seasonally adjusted. The formula with which the data is adjusted from seasonal fluctuations is improved from quarter to quarter, and with the new formula the data for the previous quarters are also recalculated, taking into account the more data available to us.