Unemployment in Slovakia rose to 6.57 percent in April as a result of the pandemic and steps taken to halt its spread. It’s the highest rate of joblessness the country has faced since 2017. At the beginning of the month, the unemployment rate was just 5.19 percent, while a year ago at the end of April, the figure was just 4.88 percent. In concrete terms, it means that 180,000 people are registered at employment offices, with all parts of the country reporting rising numbers. At the same time, the number of job opportunities fell 13 percent. There are currenly 22,000 unfilled jobs in Bratislava, but in the Prešov region, where unemployment has hit 10.37 percent there are just 4,195 jobs available. The jobless rate in Košice is 8.96 percent. The Slovak National Bank has predicted that GDP in the country will fall by up to 9 percent in 2020.
