Labour market

Slovenia ranks below the EU average with regards to unemployment (Nov 2024: 3.9%) and the gender pay gap is almost best in class with only 3.1%. However, behind the good numbers a lot of issues loom: our workforce is aging and it is becoming difficult to replace retiring workers. Employment is concentrated around the bigger economic centers with the countryside not benefitting, there is little visibility on what skills our economy requires while our educated graduates often leave for higher salaries in Western Europe and beyond. In addition, from administration to employers and society, we are rigid when it comes to integrating the foreign workers our economy desperately needs while other countries use them to instill life into stagnant job and skill markets.

Volt Slovenija therefore proposes the following:

Fair remuneration

• Follow the French model and limit internships to full-time enrolled students in accredited educational institutions. Internships longer than 1 month have to be paid with a defined rate/hour plus interns receive the same benefits as regular employees. Limit internships to 10% of overall staff and count internships against trial periods when changing into regular employment.

• Adjust the criteria of “Scheinselbstständigkeit” according to which auto-entrepreneurs (s.p.) will be reclassified as employees if certain criteria are met like no free time management and work instructions provided instead of having freedom of work.

• Move to the Ghent system for unemployment insurance like in Scandinavia with a flexible part of unemployment benefits being paid by labor unions to incentivize union membership and create momentum to reduce the share of minimum wage earners which is the highest in Europe (although the minimum wage is comparatively high). 

• Introduce a new tax bracket for all part-time workers (gig-workers, part-time workers in arts and culture, student workers etc) which obliges employers to pay partial social security contributions up to a maximum amount of working hours per month or year - above which an employment is counted as regular employment 

Social security for entrepreneurs

• Require auto-entrepreneurs to pay into occupational incapacity insurance in order to have basic coverage in case of not earning less than the minimum wage due to illness for extended periods of time similar to the Dutch model.

Integration

• Simplify the regulation for posted workers to create an easy entry into the Slovenian tax system and increase our tax revenue while being covered by social security in their country of employment.

• Simplify and digitize the process of obtaining work permits and residence authorizations as well as the recognition of foreign qualifications starting with all sectors that face difficulties in recruiting workers.

(version 2025-02)