AmCham Slovakia

The most significant growth was recorded in the Construction and Real Estate sector, which outperformed the global average by 8 points

• 22 % of Slovak employers expect an increase in the number of employees, 19 % expect a decrease and 57 % do not expect any change, while 2 % of employers were undecided on this topic. 
• Based on these data, the net employment outlook (NEO) in Slovakia, adjusted for seasonal fluctuations, is 3 for the last quarter of 2026. 
• The highest net employment outlook is in Eastern Slovakia with a NEO of 9. The lowest NEO is recorded in Bratislava (-3).
• Organizations in Construction & Real Estate, with an outlook of 44, expect the most new jobs. The worst performing sectors are Professional, Scientific & Technical Services and Utilities & Natural Resources, where employees will be laid off (-22). 
• Globally, employers in India (54), in Brazil (53) and in Panama (49) have the strongest hiring plans. The weakest employment outlook is expected in Japan (7), Romania (4), and in Slovakia (3).

Bratislava, 9 September 2026 - The most competitive sector in Slovakia is Construction & Real Estate with an outlook of 44, uplifting by 53 points since last quarter.

Slovakian employers expect weak hiring intentions in the upcoming quarter with a Net Employment Outlook (NEO) of 3 points. The outlook drops by 9 points since last quarter and 10 points since this quarter last year. Globally, Slovakia ranks last for its employment expectations, 26 points below the global outlook.

The global net labour market index for the last quarter of 2026 is at 29 points, up 2 points from last quarter and 6 points higher than this time last year.  

“The results for the fourth quarter show that the Slovak labour market remains under significant pressure. Although sentiment has improved slightly compared with the previous quarter, a Net Employment Outlook of 3 points confirms employers’ continued caution. Slovakia ranks last in the global index, reflecting a combination of subdued economic growth, persistent uncertainty in the business environment and rising corporate costs. Employers are therefore focusing on efficiency, protecting budgets and making hiring decisions very carefully,” says Zuzana Rumiz, General Manager of ManpowerGroup Slovakia.

COMPARISON OF RECRUITMENT PLANS BY SECTOR     

Employers in 5 of 9 sectors in Slovakia plan to decrease employee numbers in the last quarter of 2026. The most competitive sector in Slovakia is Construction & Real Estate with an outlook of 44, improving by 53 points from last quarter and 31 points since this time last year.

This sector reports the largest quarterly annual increase out of the Slovakian sectors. Globally, Slovakia ranks fourth for its employment expectations in this sector, beating the sector's global outlook by 8 points. Also, the country leads globally for its quarterly growth in this sector.

REGIONAL COMPARISON    

Slovakian employers in 3 of 4 regions expect an increase in staffing levels in the upcoming quarter, while 1 region anticipates a decrease.

The most competitive region in Slovakia is the Eastern Slovakia region with a NEO of 9, rising by 10 points since last quarter, but falling by 3 points since Q4 2025.

Meanwhile, the region reporting the greatest growth since last quarter is the Central Slovakia region with an increase of 23 points. This time, the net employment outlook stands at 3 for the upcoming quarter.

COMPARISON BY COMPANY SIZE

Slovakian employers in 3 of 6 organization sizes expect increasing staffing levels in the upcoming quarter, while 2 organization sizes expect an increase.

Slovakian employers in very large organizations, with 1,000 to 4,999 employees, are the most optimistic with a NEO of 9, even though their outlook decreased by 4 points since last quarter and 7 points since this quarter last year.

The greatest growth in expectations since last quarter is reported by organizations with 5,000 or more employees, with a 32-point increase. This quarter is the highest NEO recorded in small organizations (10 to 49 employees) for 2 years, going back to Q4 2024 when it was 12. This quarter, NEO stands at 6 points for these organizations.

“The dynamics of the labor market at the end of the year are exceptionally uneven. We see significant differences between sectors and regions – from record growth in construction and real estate to a continued slowdown across half of all industries. A positive signal is emerging from Eastern and Central Slovakia, where sentiment has improved noticeably, yet the overall picture remains weak. Even large organizations report only modest optimism, while smaller companies continue to operate in a cautious mode. The labor market is therefore entering Q4 2026 with highly selective and defensive hiring behavior,” adds Zuzana Rumiz, General Manager of ManpowerGroup Slovakia.

GLOBAL LABOUR MARKET DEVELOPMENTS 

• The seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook (NEO) rose to 29, strengthening by 2 points from last quarter and up 6 points from this time last year.
• Employers in India (54), in Brazil (53) and in Panama (49) and have the strongest hiring plans. The weakest employment outlook is expected in Japan (7), Romania (4) and Slovakia (3).
• Globally Construction & Real Estate and Finance & Insurance have the strongest hiring prospects (36), followed by Information (35). The Public Sector, Health & Social Services, is the weakest performer (21).

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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 labor 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 seven 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.


Contact: Lenka Balcová, lenka.balcova@manpowergroup.sk