Stats: Employment in 3Q24 Rose in Services But Industry Posted Drop

Bratislava, December 3 (TASR) - The number of employed people in the third quarter of the year increased by 0.3 percent year-on-year to 2.617 million, the Statistics Office reported on Tuesday. Growth in the number of employees was recorded in services, where 14,000 people were added. Conversely, the most significant decline in the workforce of 1.3 percent, or 8,800 people, was in industry. "The employment rate in Slovakia reached 77.9 percent and was 0.5 percentage points higher year-on-year," said the authority. The number of people working in the third quarter increased year-on-year in half of the 18 monitored sectors of the economy. Declines in workforces were recorded in the manufacturing sectors, especially in industry. In addition to industry, the number of employees in agriculture fell by 12.9 percent. In contrast, the number of employees in the construction sector went up by 3.7 percent. Employment grew year-on-year in six regions of Slovakia. The biggest increase in the number of workers was seen in Kosice region - 1.2 percent. Only Nitra region recorded a fall - of less than 1 percent. am/df