The Czech Republic’s unemployment rate remained steady at four percent in February, matching the rate from the beginning of the year. This figure signifies the second-highest February rate since 2017, surpassed only by the unemployment rate during the pandemic-stricken year of 2021, as reported by the Czech Republic Employment Office (ÚP ČR). Despite this, the Czech Republic still maintains the third-lowest unemployment rate in the European Union.
An estimated 296,107 people were without jobs at the end of February, showing a year-on-year increase of approximately 13,500. Labour and Social Affairs Minister Marian Jurečka (KDU-ČSL) commented on the figures, saying that the number of job seekers corresponds to the ongoing trends in unemployment. What’s significant, he noted, is that unemployment remains at a shallow level.
In February 2021, the unemployment rate was slightly lower at 3.9 percent; in February 2022, it was even lower at 3.5 percent. The number of available jobs increased by 1,796 month-on-month to 268,579. However, this figure is lower by about 14,500 compared to the year-on-year data.
The highest unemployment rates in February were recorded in the Ústecký region (6 percent) and the Moravian-Silesian region (5.5 percent). The Prague region and the Zlín and Plzeň regions recorded the lowest unemployment rates at 2.9 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively.
Employers are most interested in primary or lower education workers, accounting for almost three-quarters of the reported vacancies. Two-thirds of the available positions are suitable for foreigners. The highest demand for new employees is in Prague, where employers offer almost 80,000 vacant jobs.