Moreover, Slovenia emerged among EURES countries with the largest number of identified shortages, EU Helpers reports.
Some of the affected industries include gastronomy and hospitality, cleaning, manufacturing, construction, engineering, healthcare, education, and IT, EU Helpers reports.
Although labour shortages pose a challenge to the country’s economy, they may translate into work opportunities for many foreign workers wishing to move to Slovenia. This means that those who belong to the most in-demand jobs in Slovenia may have a higher chance of securing a Slovenian visa.
According to the latest EURES report, some of the roles facing shortages in Slovenia include:
- Chefs, cooks, kitchen helpers and related food preparers
- Building construction labourers
- Cleaners and helpers in offices, hotels and other establishments
- Machine operators (for different types of products)
- Professional drivers
- Toolmakers and related workers
- Welders and flame cutters
- Painters and related workers
- Plumbers and pipe fitters
- Forestry and related workers
- Security guards
- Health care assistants
- Nursing associate professionals
- Generalist/Specialist medical practitioners
- Dentists
- Physiotherapists
- Teachers (for different levels of education)
- Applications programmers
- Software developers
- Engineers (of different fields)
On the contrary, Slovenia has reported 36 surplus occupations, including receptionists, photographers, journalists, translators, and advertising and marketing professionals.
Slovenia is Facing a Severe Labour Shortages, Ministry Says
Slovenia’s labour ministry has also confirmed the country’s struggle with worker shortages. As cited by the Slovenia Times in April 2024, the Ministry of Labour also noted the importance of migrant workers in maintaining the country’s standard of living.
The country’s need for a foreign workforce is also reflected in the increasing number of migrant workers. According to the Statistics Office, Slovenia registered about 920,000 workers (farmers excluded) as of January 2024. Of these, 15 per cent were foreigners, up from 14 per cent in January 2023.
Western Balkans Workers Are Most Represented in Slovenian Labour Market
As further reported, the number of migrant workers has been increasing rapidly since 2016, except for a slowdown during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2016, Slovenia granted about 16,300 work permits, while in 2022, this figure increased to 48,440.
Most of the work permits were granted to workers from Western Balkan countries, such as Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia, and North Macedonia.
Moreover, statistics from the Employment Service indicate an increase in the number of work permits issued to Kosovan workers. In 2022, almost 15,000 permits were granted to workers from Kosovo, up from 940 in 2016.
Regarding the sector, most work permits were granted for construction, manufacturing, transport and warehousing, hospitality, and agriculture.
