Abstract:

This article explores the development of youth unemployment in Slovakia in recent years in the context of the transition of young adults from secondary education to the labour market. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the impact of the completed secondary level of education on the unemployment of youth in the Slovak Republic. In the paper, we compare the situation in Slovakia with other European countries from different perspectives (e.g. the unemployment rate, the quality of education systems as measured by PISA). The position of young people in the Slovak labour market is more serious than in most of the EU-28 countries. Based on the retrieved data, it is clear that more education improves job prospects in general, as well as the likelihood of remaining employed in times of economic hardship. Secondary education graduates are in a more difficult situation than tertiary education graduates. The paper points out the necessity of general policy frameworks to prepare youngsters for a successful entry into the labour market.