Perception of Labor Market Changes in the Post-Pandemic Period

Unemployment is a complex socio-economic phenomenon that negatively affects not only individuals, but also their families and the wider social environment. Long-term unemployment can lead to mental and physical health problems, with its consequences being more intense for older individuals, men and people with lower education. The aim of the research was to analyse changes in the labour market in the post-pandemic period and to examine their impact on the perception of the future among different age and education groups. The research was conducted using an electronic questionnaire, with the research sample consisting of 206 respondents from different regions of Slovakia. The main findings showed that the perception of uncertainty and fears about the future was strongest in the category of people aged 40-50, where 52.83% of respondents desired change, 48.21% felt threatened and 46.67% felt helpless. The results also confirmed that unemployment affects women more, with up to 88.89% of longterm unemployed (13 months or more) being women. The results confirmed the hypothesis that the post-pandemic situation negatively affected people’s experiences and caused a pessimistic perception of the future, with the intensity of negative feelings being higher in older individuals and in people with higher education.