In 2006, there were on average 85,836 registered unemployed persons in Slovenia, which is for the fourth consecutive year the lowest average number of registered unemployed persons or by 6.6 % less than in 2005. At the end of the year, 78,303 persons were registered with the ESS. In comparison to 2005, the registered unemployment rate decreased by 0.8 percentage point and was 9.4 %.

In 2006, 90,217 unemployed persons newly applied with the ESS or 4.4 % less than in 2005. The structure of newly applied persons was similar to those of previous years. The largest category of the newly applied was in 2006 represented by persons, whose fixed-term employment expired (33,353 persons or 37.0 %), and one fifth of the inflow was represented by first-time job seekers (18,597 persons or 20.6 %). There were 13,886 or 15.4 % of the unemployed due to permanent redundancies and bankruptcies. 27.0 % of persons registered for other reasons (consensual termination of employment relationship, expiration or termination of public work, termination of employer's operations). As regards to 2005, the inflow of all categories of the above stated unemployed decreased, except for the persons who registerd for other reasons. The inflow of first-time job seekers decreased the most (-14.1 %), the number of bankrupts and redundant workers decreased by 7.1 %, and there were 3.4% fewer registrations due to the expiration of fixed-term employments.

In 2006, outflow from unemployment was by 12.9 % higher than in 2005. In total, 104,489 persons left the unemployment registry, 57,423 of them found an employment. For reasons other than employment, 42,183 persons reported their departure or were deregistered, 4,883 persons were transferred to other records, 1,192 occupationally disabled were transferred to the registry of persons applied at the ESS on the basis of other laws.

The structure of unemployed persons changed in 2006. Shares of first-time job seekers, people aged up to 26 years and of persons with no professional education lowered. The decrease of first-time job seekers or young people share was influenced by the change of legislation, as high school students, university students and participants of adult education younger than 26 can no longer register as unemployed, except if they are entitled to unemployment benefit. In comparison to 2005, shares of women, redundant workers and persons aged 50 and over increased in 2006.

Due to comparability of unemployment with other countries it is worth mentioning that the rate of survey unemployment (calculated according to Eurostat methodology) in 2006 was 6.0 %. In the European Union (EU-25), the unemployment rate was 7.9 %, which means that the Slovenian survey unemployment rate was lower than the European average. Higher unemployment rate than in Slovenia were in Poland (13.8 %), the Slovak Republic (13.4 %), France (9.4 %), Germany (8.4 %), the Czech Republic (7.1 %), and in Italy (6.8 %), whereas the rates were lower in Denmark (3.9 %), Estonia (5.9 %), Ireland (4.4 %), the Netherlands (3.9 %), Austria (4.8 %) and United Kingdom (5.3%).