Unemployment rate in Slovakia to go below 9 percent by year-end

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Sunday it is realistic to expect the country's unemployment rate to go below 9 percent by the end of this year.

"The new government pledged to squeeze the figure below 10 percent and at the same time create 100,000 new jobs. I don´t have any doubts about achieving these goals." said Fico.

Taking the investment of British automotive company Jaguar Land Rover in Nitra, western Slovakia for example, Fico said it had brought a huge revival in the labour market and the region.

Approaching the "magical" unemployment rate of 7-8 percent as seen before the financial crisis, Slovakia has already reached a stage featuring a lack of a skilled labour force.

"We'll hardly go below these 7-8 percent, as we have here a group of people who don't want to work and people who don't want to have official jobs, even though they're working," said Fico.

The unemployment rate in Slovakia stood at 9.64 percent last month.