The new Barometer trhu práce (labor market barometer) was launched on July 7, 2026, by Aliancia sektorových rád. It is an analytical tool that shows which workers the country lacks the most, how much they are paid, and which professions will be needed after 2030.
The data for the barometer is not taken from surveys — it is real statistics from Štatistický úrad SR (Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic), Ústredie práce (Labor Office), and Sociálna poisťovňa (social insurance institution), processed by over 200 experts from 24 sector councils. The list includes more than 160 deficit professions from all eight regions of the country, and the data is updated quarterly. The next update is scheduled for October 1, 2026.
Who Is Most Needed
The highest barometer score — 100 points out of 100 — is for a machine operator in furniture manufacturing with an average gross salary of 1,394 €. Next in the top:
Inpatient ward nurse (internal medicine, surgery) — 93 points, 2,226 €.
Industry and manufacturing specialist — 91 points, 2,314 €.
Industrial robot technician — 89 points, 1,757 €. A telling profession: automation does not reduce people but changes which people are sought.
Surface finishing operator in automotive production — 89 points, 2,003 €.
The deficit of sheet metal workers (klampiar) is rated at 83 points, and their average salary has increased from 1,480 € in 2020 to 1,993 €. Carpenters (tesár) — 81 points and 1,385 €. The full ranking with regional filters can be viewed on the Kariérna brána portal.
Where the Most Vacancies Are
A high score shows the intensity of the deficit, but for a job seeker, another important indicator is the number of open positions. Here is the picture:
Assembler in mechanical engineering — 21,533 vacancies.
Truck driver in international transport — 18,286.
Warehouse helper — 7,389.
Forklift operator — 6,053.
Cook — 4,821.
Welder — 4,678.
Tens of thousands of open positions are in manufacturing, logistics, warehouses, and gastronomy. But a large number of vacancies does not mean easy or highly paid work: often it involves shifts, physical workload, and the need for licenses (driver’s license, forklift, or welding certificate).
Where They Pay the Most
The best money among deficit professions is where the deficit combines with high qualification:
Software architect and system programmer — 3,196 € each.
Doctor without specialization — 2,955 €.
Application developer and analyst — 2,931 €.
Electrical engineer - power engineer — 2,526 €.
Mechanical engineers (technologists, designers) — 2,342 €.
You cannot switch to these positions after a month of courses, but they are the most stable in the long term.
What Will Be Needed After 2030
The barometer gives a long-term forecast for the first time, and it looks worrying for employers: the most jobs in 2032 are expected for cleaners (2,159), mechanical engineering assemblers (1,760), production helpers (1,526), care specialists (1,422), truck drivers (1,275), and primary school teachers (1,201).
The reason is simple: demographics. In 2004, 50,000 more young people entered the Slovak labor market than retired. Now the figure is negative: minus 10,000 per year. By 2040, the working-age population of the country will decrease by more than 11% — that is hundreds of thousands of people. Therefore, as RTVS writes, Slovak companies are increasingly demanding to simplify the employment of workers from third countries.
What This Means for You
If you are now choosing a work direction or retraining, the practical conclusion is this. The fastest to get a job is in manufacturing, logistics, and crafts: there are tens of thousands of vacancies, and craft salaries have noticeably increased. The highest long-term earnings are in technical and engineering specialties. And consider the regional filter: the deficit in Košice or Prešov differs from Bratislava, so before deciding, check the barometer data for your region. Detailed rankings with salaries are also available in the Podnikajte.sk review.
