In Slovakia, the overall unemployment rate rose to 5.30% in December 2025 from 5% in November 2025. The youth unemployment rate in December 2025 stood at 16.40%, which is 10.73 percentage points lower than the long-term average of 27.13% recorded between 1998 and 2025.

Slovakia regulates employment through the Labour Code, which defines employment relationships and contract types, including work performance contracts and temporary student job contracts. The legal framework aims to balance employee protections with labour market flexibility.

The exact number of young people emigrating from Slovakia each year for education and work is not precisely documented. However, data indicates that over 20,000 Slovak students enroll in Czech universities annually, while more than 32,000 young individuals leave the country in pursuit of education and employment abroad. Additionally, in 2023, a total of 4,522 people, including youth, officially emigrated from Slovakia.

The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family offers counseling services through its Labour Offices, while the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth focuses on career guidance within the school network. Additionally, the non-profit sector and professional employment organizations play an active role in providing career guidance and counseling (3.4).

System of Vocational Education and Training has gone through significant reconstruction since 2015 (3.5).

The development of entrepreneurial skills is supported through various projects within both formal and non-formal education and learning (3.8).