Unemployment in Czechia inched down to 3.8% in October, a level it has oscillated around in recent months – 3.9% in September and 3.8% in August and July. It is the second lowest unemployment level in the EU, the country’s Labour Office highlighted.  

“Since the beginning of the year, we have helped 238,000 people find not jobs through the Labour Office,” commented the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Marian Jurecka. “This represents year-on-year growth of 82%,” he added.

There were 289,003 job applicants registered with the Labour Office in October, which is an increase of 0.3 percentage points y/y. The Labour Office also noted that y/y the number of requalifications doubled in October and that since the beginning of the year, 35,646 persons were requalified.

Chairman of the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Labour Unions Josef Stredual stated that despite low unemployment:  “the whole labour market is evidently undergoing many crucial and mainly structural changes.”   

Stedula added that “on one hand, many employers still encounter lack of workforce” while the Czech economy is yet to grow significantly, forcing “energy demanding sectors” to resort to staff layoffs. Stredula also recalled the bankruptcy of the largest steel mill in the country, Liberty Ostrava, as “the largest [bankruptcy] case in recent history” and concluded that “a situation persists when demand and offer on the labour market” is not optimal.      

At the end of October 149, 800 Ukrainians were working in Czechia under the temporary protection scheme, with 92,842 of these being women, or approximately 62%.