STA, 10 April 2022 - Slovenia's jobless total dropped to some 60,000 in March in what is the second lowest figure on record, but only 16-17% of the registered unemployed were directly employable. As many as 56% of them are long-term unemployed, an issue that poses a challenge for the authorities.
The jobless total is near the all-time low recorded in September 2008. However, as unemployment declines, the share of the long-term unemployed increases.
Nearly 32% of all jobless were registered as long-term unemployed in 2020, 44% last year and 56% this year, the Employment Service said earlier this week.
The long-term unemployed are those who have been out of work for at least a year, and there are people in Slovenia who have been on the dole for as long as five or even ten years.
Employment Service director Mitja Bobnar said that long-term unemployment will be a main challenge in the future.
According to him, the vast majority of the unemployed, more than 80%, are not immediately employable but need additional help from counsellors to find their way in the labour market.
These include the elderly, young people with no education or with qualifications that are not in demand, and people with disabilities who need special treatment, he said.
Active employment policies play an important role in employment of the long-term unemployed as they significantly improve their prospects, said Damjana Košir, head of employment at the Employment Service. A total of 5,645 unemployed people were included in active employment policies in the first three months of 2022.
Subsidised employment is another measure that is producing results. Almost 90% of young people participating in such programmes retain their jobs after the subsidy period ends. The same applies to nearly 65% of vulnerable groups that are part of a special programme.
