Slovak jobless hits record low, to fall further

...outflow of workers seeking jobs abroad, the 
Labour Office said on Tuesday. 
    The jobless rate stood at 8.50 percent in April. Data also 
showed 216,732 people were out of work but ready to start 
working in May, which is the base for calculating the rate. 
    "We expect a slight decline in the jobless rate in June as 
well," said Vladimir Hasko, head of the Labour Office's research 
department. 
    Slovakia's unemployment rate has been falling steadily from 
around 20 percent four years ago, after the previous government 
of Mikulas Dzurinda introduced a package of business-friendly 
reforms and cracked down on abuses of the welfare system. 
    The creation of new jobs from billions of dollars in foreign 
direct investment, which helped propel the economy to 9.0 
percent growth in the first quarter, has mopped up the shallow 
labour market. 
    But long-term unemployment remains a problem as people often 
lack skills and education, the office said. 
    Parliament is set to start debating amendments to the labour 
code on Tuesday, designed to give more protection to workers and 
boost unions' rights. 
    Analysts and employers associations have said the draft 
could hurt job market flexibility and have negative effects in 
the longer term. 
    Dzurinda lost an election in June 2006 to leftist Prime 
Minister Robert Fico. 
    (For full table please click on ..... [ID:nPRG000391])