Trends in the evolution of employment and challenges in its growth in the Slovak Republic

Some of major long-term challenges for EU countries, including Slovakia, are the situation in the labour market and employment growth. Rise in the participation of population in employment, or increase in employment rate of economically active population, and particularly of disadvantaged population, and their retention in the labour market represent main protection against expansion of poverty and social exclusion. Economic growth, which is largely driven by national demand, is a basic precondition for a rise in employment rate. In the previous years, the global crisis had a considerable impact on individual economies and it also affected global labour markets, what was reflected in decreasing costs, freezing wages, dismissing workers in individual categories and an overall drop in the employment extent. In order to deal with employment issues, it is necessary to undertake activities related to economic policy, social policy, labour market policy, financial and educational policy.