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| Foreigners are driving the labor market, but Slovakia is failing to integrate |
| Bratislava, 20.04.2026 |
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| Foreign workers are changing the face of the Slovak labor market. Their numbers are breaking records and now make up almost 6% of the workforce. Although they help keep the economy running, Slovakia is lagging behind significantly in their integration, which may weaken the benefits of migration in the future. This is according to data from the Institute of Financial Policy (IFP).
Last year, 129,000 foreigners worked in Slovakia, while their contribution to employment growth reached a historical maximum. They increased employment by 0.9 percentage points. The trend continues this year - in February their number exceeded 146,000. "Without foreign workers, many sectors would face serious personnel problems today," warned IFP analyst Monika Pécsyová. Foreigners mainly fill positions that the domestic workforce is not interested in or does not have the necessary qualifications.
Migration is changing significantly. While in the past workers from neighboring European countries dominated, today the share of people from third countries is growing. They now account for more than 77% of all foreign workers. The largest group remains Ukrainians, who represent approximately 38% of all working foreigners. Their number has increased more than 2.5 times since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Workers from India (7%) came in second place, overtaking workers from Serbia (6%). Southeast Asian countries are also recording significant growth - Vietnam, Nepal and the Philippines have already become among the most important sources of labor. On the contrary, the influx of workers from the EU is stagnating or decreasing, as they prefer countries with higher wages.
According to the analyst, the positive economic effect of migration is undeniable. In addition to alleviating the labor shortage, foreigners also contribute to GDP growth, higher tax revenues and the stability of the social system. “If Slovakia wants to manage its aging population, it cannot do without managed labor migration,” Pécsyová emphasizes.
However, integration remains a key weakness. According to the international MIPEX index, Slovakia is among the countries with the lowest quality of integration policies in the EU. It has the greatest reserves in access to the labor market, education, and political participation of foreigners.
Despite the fact that in recent years there has been a simplification of administration and digitalization of processes, systemic barriers persist. For example, the problem is limited access to education for some groups of migrants or poor opportunities for their involvement in public life. “It is not enough to attract people, we must also be able to retain them and integrate them into society,” Pécsyová concludes, adding that the solution may mainly be the support of language education, better access to services, and fair working conditions.
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Address : Euro-Brew Ltd., Hlboká 22, 917 01 Trnava, Slovakia
Tel. : +421 33 53 418 53, Fax : +421 33 53 418 52, E-mail : info@eurobrew.sk |
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