How will decarbonisation affect employment and the labour market in Slovakia?

The DEEPLAB project presents three new policy briefs examining the labour market impacts of deep decarbonisation across three key high-emission sectors of the Slovak economy: the automotive industry, industry (particularly steel and cement production), and the energy sector.

The briefs draw on DEEPLAB's modelling scenarios and on discussions with sector stakeholders, held by the team in January and March 2026.

They show that decarbonisation does not necessarily mean a decline in employment, but it can lead to a significant reshuffling of jobs, the emergence of new occupations, and a growing demand for technical, digital, and highly skilled competencies.

Realising this potential is not automatic: it depends on the readiness of the education system, the quality of jobs created, a stable investment environment, energy prices, and the state's capacity to coordinate industrial, energy, and education policy.

Each of the three policy briefs offers concrete recommendations for policymakers, ranging from developing national workforce strategies, to strengthening technical education, to systematising reskilling and supporting social dialogue.

All three briefs were authored by Monika Martišková, Jakub Barszcz, and Paulína Bobčeková.

They were produced as part of the DEEPLAB project, funded by the European Union through Slovakia's Recovery and Resilience Plan.