Labor market paradox shows rising job openings but stagnant hiring

A labor market paradox is emerging where job postings are increasing, yet actual hiring rates are failing to keep pace. According to an August analysis by iCIMS, this trend is visible in both the United States and the EMEA region. In the U.S., job postings rose by 17 percent year-over-year in July 2026, while the number of hires remained stagnant at 0 percent growth. The discrepancy is most pronounced in the manufacturing sector, where companies struggle to fill positions despite an increase in applications.

In Slovakia, employment has declined for five consecutive quarters. Data from the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic shows that the number of workers reached 2.594 million in the second quarter of 2026, a year-over-year decrease of 0.5 percent. The manufacturing sector has seen a significant downturn, losing 29,000 workers, while the retail sector lost over 39,000 employees. Conversely, the services sector and professional, scientific, and technical activities have shown growth, with the latter increasing by 21.5 percent year-over-year.