Foreign workers are becoming an established part of Slovakia’s economy. More than 135,000 foreigners are now employed across the country, accounting for almost 7% of the total workforce. That share is increasing, particularly in industry, logistics and services, while more foreigners are also appearing in high-skilled professions.
According to Grafton Recruitment and Gi Group, the trend seen in the Czech Republic – where the role of foreign workers has been significant for years – is now clearly visible in Slovakia too.
“The importance of recruitment from abroad will continue to grow,” says Martin Malo, managing director of Grafton Slovakia and Gi Group. “There is still enough work, but not enough people to do it.”
In September 2025, Slovakia recorded 135,195 employed foreigners, the highest number in its history, according to data from the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (UPSVaR) and the Institute for Employment Studies. Around two-thirds of them come from non-EU countries.
The largest group are Ukrainians, with more than 50,000 workers, followed by Serbs, Indians, Czechs and Romanians. The number of Indian employees has almost tripled in 2025, and they now make up a notable part of production teams in many factories.
The unemployment rate in Slovakia reached 5.3% in the second quarter of 2025, a slight increase year-on-year but still low by comparison with some other European economies. Employers across several sectors continue to face a shortage of candidates, especially for operational and technical positions.
While Slovakia is approaching a 7% share of foreign workers, in the Czech Republic non-natives already make up more than 15% of all employees. The Czech labour market is more attractive not only because of its higher wages, but also because of more efficient visa procedures and government programmes for recruitment from third countries.
“The Czechs have shown that with good cooperation between the state and companies, the process can be accelerated without losing control,” says Malo. “In Slovakia, things are improving, but digitalisation and the availability of appointments at the Foreigners’ Police remain weak points.”
Experts say that while simplifying bureaucracy is essential for recruitment, the real test is adaptation – how quickly and safely new workers orient themselves, understand expectations and integrate into teams.
This process is becoming more complex as workers increasingly arrive from culturally distant countries with different languages and work habits. Success, they argue, is measured not by the speed of hiring but by the worker’s ability to function well in the team and live in the new environment.
“A foreign worker needs reliable support and communication in a language they understand,” Malo notes. “It is equally important to prepare Slovak colleagues.”
Proper adaptation, he adds, reduces turnover, prevents conflict and helps stabilise performance. In practice, the quality of integration distinguishes companies that retain foreign employees long-term from those that lose them after a few months.
According to the UPSVaR, foreigners in Slovakia work most often in manufacturing, logistics, construction and services, usually as operators, assemblers and support workers. However, the number of skilled tradespeople and technical specialists is also rising, and they are becoming a stable part of company teams.
Employers increasingly see foreign labour not as a temporary solution but as a long-term source of development and growth. The fastest-growing groups come from India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines, reflecting trends in neighbouring countries such as Czechia and Hungary.
Experts from Grafton and Gi Group estimate that Slovakia could reach around 15-% foreign labour participation in the next few years, depending on the speed of permit procedures and the systematic integration of workers into local environments.
Despite the growing overall numbers, Slovakia attracts fewer highly qualified workers from outside the EU than its neighbours. In 2023, only 24 EU Blue Cards – residence and work permits for high-skilled non-EU nationals – were issued in Slovakia, compared with over 500 in the Czech Republic and more than 7,400 in Poland, according to the Institute for Financial Policy.
Over the past decade, the share of foreigners in high-skilled positions – such as managers, technicians and specialists – has almost halved, while the proportion of production operators and low-skilled workers has grown.
Foreign workers have nonetheless made a visible contribution to the labour market. Their number has increased fivefold since 2015. (The Slovak Spectator)