Unemployment in the Czech Republic rose to 3.7% in December, remaining at 3.5% for the previous three months. According to the Czech Labour Office, 271,803 people applied for jobs through labor offices, 14,616 more than the previous month. At the same time, the number of job vacancies offered by employers at the end of last year was 288,647, a decrease of around 3,300 compared to November. However, there were still more job vacancies than applicants.

Analysts had expected an increase in unemployment in the last month of the year, a trend that typically occurs annually due to the end of seasonal jobs in industries such as agriculture and construction. Unemployment remained highest in December in the Ústí nad Labem Region at 5.5%, followed by the Moravian-Silesian Region at 5.1%. The lowest unemployment rates were in the Pardubice, Plzeň, and Zlín regions, at 2.9%. Employers are mainly interested in hiring employees for technical and blue-collar occupations, with a long-term demand for skilled craftsmen. Unemployment is expected to rise in the coming months as seasonal work slows down.

The labor market situation will depend on factors such as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the current epidemic situation, and the impact of the energy crisis on employers. No major layoffs are currently planned.

Article by Prague Forum