Kosice Region

Košice Region anchors eastern Slovakia—the country's second-largest city hosting U.S. Steel Košice, one of Europe's largest integrated steel producers, in a region otherwise marked by high unemployment and poverty. The unemployment rate runs three times higher than Bratislava's, and average wages sit at half the capital's level. The region is among Slovakia's three poorest and among the EU's 30 most disadvantaged territories. Long-term unemployment reached 5.3% versus 3.1% nationally, reflecting structural economic challenges. Košice city itself shows more dynamism: a technical university feeds an emerging IT sector, and European Capital of Culture designation in 2013 attempted to rebrand the industrial image. The Roma population faces persistent marginalization, with unemployment and poverty rates far exceeding Slovak averages. U.S. Steel's future remains uncertain as European steel struggles against Chinese competition and green transition costs. The region borders Hungary and Ukraine, positions that create trade possibilities but also demographic pressures. Investment as a share of GDP matches the depressed central Slovak rate of 16%, compared to Bratislava's 25%. By 2026, Košice's trajectory depends on whether the IT sector can diversify beyond steel dependency, whether EU cohesion funds stimulate investment, and whether Roma integration programs achieve measurable progress.