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Total Unemployment in Slovakia 5 Percent Higher Than European Average
Thursday 16 December 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, December 16 (TASR) - Slovakia is perpetually plagued by long-term unemployment, which reached 9.1 percent in 2Q10 while the average long-term unemployment in the EU countries is only 3.8 percent, according to a market analysis drafted by the Financial Policy Institute (IFP).
Also, total unemployment rate in Slovakia belongs among the highest within the EU. "The total unemployment rate has significantly risen and is currently at 14.4 percent (2Q10), making it the fifth highest figure within EU," says the analysis, adding that the average EU figure is 9.5 percent.
According to the document, Slovakia belonged among the countries that saw the unemployment rate rising in 2009, too. "Participation in 2009 fell down by 30,000 people due to the crisis. One of the factors behind the unemployment rise was the disproportionate growth in the workforce on sick leave – up by some 12,500 people," according to the document.
According to the analysis, the reason might be that employees feign sickness with an aim to postpone impending lay-offs. Thus, the effect of this so-called speculative sickness could have increased the registered unemployment by 0.4 percentage points from 12.1 to 12.5 percent in 2009.
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