The Impact of Emigration on Unemployment in Slovakia

Abstract

This study deals with one of the current and relatively often discussed phenomenon, which accompanies economic and social development in both developed and economically struggling countries. The economic development of Slovakia is no exception. The analysis of both unemployment as an economic and social phenomenon and unemployment trends is conducted in relation to the period of stabilization and relative economic growth, which followed after the transformation of economic systems in countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The main objects of this analysis are primarily trends in the economic development, trends in the job creation, and the impact of direct foreign investments on the development of unemployment.

Migration of labour force abroad is another important variable entering the analysis. The focus is placed predominantly on the migration flows into foreign countries and also on their impact on the development of unemployment rate. From the previous analyses and observations of real processes occurring in this particular field we know that under certain circumstances high unemployment rate results in the growth of migration flows of labour force abroad. But during the studied period under the conditions of relatively quick economic growth in Central and Eastern Europe we can observe different trends when it comes to the connection between unemployment rate, economic growth and migration flows. Trends in the economic development during this period, in the development of unemployment rate and in the emigration flows and their causality do not match our knowledge and ideas about these phenomena and processes in the entrepreneurial, political or academic environment. Therefore, this study aims to conduct an analysis of the above mentioned phenomena and processes and offer a reasoned and adequate concept about the trends in their development.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ee.24.3.3173