STA, 12 May 2022 - There were a record 24,600 job vacancies in the first quarter of the year in Slovenia, up 6% from the fourth quarter last year and almost 50% more than in the same quarter in 2021, the Statistics Office (SURS) said on Thursday.
"The number of vacancies thus reached the highest level since this survey was launched in 2008. Vacancies grew from one quarter to another throughout 2021, continuing into the start of this year," SURS said.
Stronger demand for new workers was recorded in most sectors; compared to the fourth quarter last year, construction companies had almost 5,400 vacancies in the first quarter of this year, up 710, with 50% more jobs advertised in the IT sector.
Employers in other miscellaneous activities were meanwhile slightly more reserved to seeking new workers in quarter-one, with fewer than 1,800 jobs available, a drop of nearly 600.
The annual comparison for the entire country shows that demand for new labour increased by 49%, which translates into 8,100 more vacancies; the biggest rise was recorded in construction, which had 2,200 more vacancies.
"The annual comparison shows that this time there was more demand than a year ago in all sectors except mining and public administration," SURS wrote.
The vacancy rate meanwhile exceeded 3% for the first time in January-March, reaching a record 7.6% in construction, more than double the Slovenian average.
