For a long time the permanent divisional structure had been considered to need 7,600 members as a prerequisite for the army to develop and use its operational capacities. During the crisis this number decreased and today the army only employs 7,059 members of the permanent division. Those who are leaving have either retired or found better paid jobs. In 2015, 188 employees have left the army, out of which a third of departures, 65, were due to retirement.

Because of soldiers leaving the army, the government has given consensus to hire 338 new employees, which would allow the Slovenian Army to follow its employment plan, increasing the number of members to 7,254 by the end of the year. This weekend 21 candidates have joined the army, after passing basic military training. 36 candidates had applied for training in May, but more than a third did not complete it successfully due to injuries.

In the last three years, the interest in being employed by the army has dropped, reports the army’s general headquarters. Therefore, the army has taken several measures to attract new candidates, using promotional activities as well as a one-time money award worth a month’s salary, which currently stands at about 700 euros.