The reasons why people in Slovakia tend to have shorter working lives were explained to SME daily by Martin Kahanec, Scientific Director and Founder of the Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI).

The latest statistics from the European Statistical Office show that while people in Slovakia work on average 36 years, the average length of working life in EU countries was 37.2 years last year.

According to Eurostat, people in Slovakia work fewer years on average than in neighboring countries, with the exception of Poland. When compared to Scandinavian countries, the gap is even more striking.

The reasons why people in Slovakia tend to have shorter working lives were explained to SME daily by Martin Kahanec, Scientific Director and Founder of the Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI).

Among other things, he pointed out that the average healthy life expectancy in the EU is about 63 years, while in Slovakia it is just under 57 years.

“Structural characteristics of the labor market also have a negative effect – a high share of physically demanding jobs, low flexibility on the part of employers, and insufficient opportunities for retraining and lifelong learning,” Kahanec noted. “All of this makes it difficult for older workers to remain in employment.”

The article also covers:

• in which countries people work the longest, including a comparative map,
• the reasons why Slovakia ranks among the countries with a shorter working life, and which other statistics and data influence this,
• what the Slovak Minister of Labour, Erik Tomáš, plans to do with the retirement age, and an expert’s assessment of the situation.

🔗 Full article (in Slovak) by SME journalist Michaela Štalmachová at: https://domov.sme.sk/c/23535572/odpracovane-roky-dochodok-slovensko.html