More than seventy years of shared statehood with the Czech Republic and a quarter century of post-communist transformation in independent state of Slovakia has shaped inequalities and its impacts in the republic. This article reviews the major socio-economic developments and factors that have resulted in different patterns of inequality. The current Slovak labor market showed signs of recovery in 2014, but unemployment remains high. Disincentives in the social-benefit system have been reduced and some positive results have been obtained in reducing youth unemployment, but long-term unemployment remains a major challenge. Employment among the most disadvantaged groups such as Roma, disabled, older people, the youth is still low. What is more, Slovakia has one of the highest gender pay gap in the EU-28