According to recent data from the Czech job office general directorate, a total of 94,400 refugees from Ukraine held jobs in the Czech Republic by the end of January. In 2022, a total of 190,400 people with temporary protection status found employment, with most of them being women, and they mainly occupied low-skilled positions. The refugees mainly face language barriers in their search for more skilled jobs. Ukrainian refugees are employed in the transport, construction, and engineering industries, and they have paid almost eight billion crowns in the form of payment to the welfare system. By the end of January, job offices had registered 16,300 Ukrainian job seekers, making up 5 percent of all job seekers, and employment of Ukrainian refugees is on the rise.

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Interior Ministry has granted 488,200 protection visas, mostly to women and children. Those having the protection visas can work without any problems and permits in the Czech Republic. By the end of January, 190,356 arrivals had found jobs in the Czech Republic, with 132,573 women among them. By the end of last month, there were 94,383 people with protection visas, with over 16,200 in the Central Bohemia Region, followed by the Plzen Region with 13,900 employed refugees and South Moravia with 10,000.

The majority of Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic work full-time and frequently occupy auxiliary and manual jobs despite having higher qualifications. A quarter of refugees worked part-time, with two-fifths of the employed in jobs below their qualifications, and almost 25 percent in slightly less qualified positions. About a half of technical and professional workers, and more than 25 percent who were formerly in managerial and specialist positions, now work in auxiliary or blue-collar jobs.

The job offices are contributing to Czech courses, which have been entered by 2,838 refugees and completed by 2,007. This will likely help the refugees overcome the language barriers they face when seeking more skilled jobs.

Overall, the high number of Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic has had a positive impact on the country’s workforce, providing employers in certain areas with the staff they need. While the majority of Ukrainian refugees are in low-skilled positions, the rise in their employment and the completion of Czech language courses could lead to more opportunities in higher-skilled positions in the future. The payments made by the refugees to the welfare system have also had a positive impact on the Czech economy.
Article by Prague Forum