A total of 135 companies from all regions of Slovakia took part in the survey, ranging from small businesses to corporations with thousands of employees.
Recruitment forecast: From expansion to stabilisation
While the market grew in previous years, current data shows a slowdown. Only 33% of companies plan to increase their number of employees in the second half of 2025, representing a significant decrease of 15% compared to the previous year.
Most companies, 51%, are focusing on maintaining their current headcount. A concerning signal is the year-on-year increase in the number of companies planning to reduce staff numbers — this group has grown from 6% to 16%.
Recruitment challenges persist
Despite more cautious plans, finding talent remains a tough challenge. As many as 61% of employers have experience with difficult-to-fill positions, and for 30% of companies, recruitment is explicitly problematic. This is also why interest in external cooperation is growing — as many as 60% of companies now use the services of recruitment agencies and local suppliers when searching for people.
Salary policy: Less is sometimes more
The good news for employees is that companies continue to increase wages despite more difficult conditions. In 2024, as many as 84% of employers increased salaries.
However, the dynamics of growth have changed:
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Most common increase: 66% of companies increased employees’ salaries by between 3% and 6%.
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Decline in aggressive growth: Only 4% of companies reported a significant increase of more than 10%, compared to 10% last year.
Inclusion as a solution to labour shortages
The Slovak market is increasingly opening up to groups that were previously on the margins of interest.. Companies actively employ:
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Students: as many as 70% of companies, a year-on-year increase of 12%.
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People with disabilities: 68% of employers.
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Old-age pensioners: half of the surveyed companies.
The share of companies employing foreigners is also growing. Currently, 52% of companies employ them, with people most often coming to Slovakia from Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Romania, or India.
Flexibility is no longer a benefit, but a standard
If you want to attract quality people, flexible working hours must be a matter of course. Only 10% of employers do not offer them. An interesting shift has occurred in home office arrangements — although companies prefer personal contact, 32% of them allow working from home 1 to 3 days a week, which is one fifth more than last year.
Prepare for new remuneration rules
As many as 87% of companies consider their remuneration to be transparent. However, many of them still face the process of making adjustments due to the EU directive on equal pay for men and women. Currently, only 29% of employers plan to change their salary structures in this regard.
You can find the full survey HERE: Nationwide Survey 2024/2025
How can Talent Solutions help you?
We are one of the three largest recruitment agencies in Slovakia, with more than 21 years of tradition. We will help you manage challenging recruitment for permanent employment, provide temporary employee assignment, or take responsibility for your payroll agenda.
