The growth of employment and the decline in unemployment are easing. The number of employed persons increased year on year in the first nine months, by 2.7%, which is somewhat less than in the same period last year (3.2%). It rose the most in construction, transportation and storage, and accommodation and food service activities, i.e. sectors with a high job vacancy rate and a large share of foreign workers. The contribution of the hiring of foreign workers to total employment growth remains high (around 70%).
The number of registered unemployed persons continues to decline, although at a slower pace than in previous years. At the end of October it amounted to 72,416, which is 5.0% less than one year before.

Total year-on-year growth in Slovenian industrial producer prices remains low (October 0.2%) due to lower prices on foreign markets. Producer prices on foreign markets have been around 1.5% lower year on year on average in recent months; the decline outside the euro area was somewhat smaller. Price growth on the domestic market remains at around 2%. This is still primarily a consequence of strong growth in energy prices (owing to higher prices in the supply of electricity, gas and steam, where year-on-year growth totals around 15%). Among other product groups, above average price rises are also recorded for investment goods and non-durable goods (2.0%). In the latter, this is also  a consequence of household consumption according to our estimate.