Due to the economic crisis, an increasing number of Slovenians, especially young people, are seeking jobs abroad, with Austria being the top destination. According to official data from the Austrian Employment Service, the number of Slovenians working there has risen from about 6,000 in 2008 to 11,000 individuals, as reported by the Ljubljana daily newspaper Dnevnik on Tuesday.
The highest interest in working in the neighboring country is shown by those under 35 years old, among whom are many who cannot find employment at home after graduating, and there is a significant number of daily migrants commuting to work in Austria from border regions.
Although Austria and Germany opened their labor markets to other EU member states only on May 1, 2011, after a seven-year transitional period, the highest interest in employment is currently in these countries, which have not been as severely affected by the crisis. The number of Slovenians who found jobs in Germany after Slovenia’s entry into the EU is around 7,000, with most working in industry, construction, healthcare, hospitality, and other service sectors. Data on Slovenians employed in neighboring Italy is not known, but it is estimated to be around 9,000, although it is declining due to the economic crisis that has also affected Italy, and among them, there are also many daily migrants.
The unemployment rate in Slovenia has been rising since the onset of the global crisis in 2008 and is currently around 8.6 percent, with projections indicating it will continue to rise next year, surpassing the current 110,000 unemployed individuals. Considering foreign workers who were employed in Slovenia during the boom, primarily in construction, Slovenia has lost an estimated 100,000 jobs in the last four years, according to the current government.
