In August 2024, the unemployment rate in the Czech Republic remained stable, as is typical for the holiday season when companies generally do not make major staff changes. The education sector emerged as the primary employer of jobseekers, while the number of job vacancies increased slightly. On 31 August 2024, the Labour Office of the Czech Republic (Úřad práce ČR) recorded a total of 286,320 jobseekers, an increase of 3,309 compared to July. The unemployment rate at the end of August was 3.8%.
The stability in the unemployment rate during August is characteristic of the holiday period. Many employees in the education sector returned to their jobs after the summer holidays. In August, 3,232 of the 3,309 newly unemployed individuals from the summer found employment in the education sector, making it the largest employer of jobseekers. The wholesale and catering sectors followed in second and third place. Labour offices in the Czech Republic also offer retraining and courses to help jobseekers find a better job.
Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Marian Jurečka (KDU-ČSL) noted that changing jobs can often lead to better wages. “The labour office not only assists the unemployed but also helps those who are already employed and seeking new opportunities. In particular, retraining in the digital sector is generously subsidized,” said Jurečka. This support enables employees to either apply their newly acquired skills in their current roles or pursue their ideal jobs.
Daniel Krištof, Director General of the Czech Labour Office, emphasized the importance of further training for young jobseekers. “In August, school leavers and graduates accounted for 4% of jobseekers. Our goal is to support these young individuals through counseling and retraining to ease their transition into the workforce.” Krištof also highlighted the significance of apprenticeships, which are supported by state subsidies to ensure the acquisition of qualifications and work experience.
In August 2024, 34,866 people newly registered with the Czech Labour Office, while the number of job vacancies slightly increased to 263,247. Regionally, Moravian-Silesia and South Moravia saw the largest increase in jobseekers. The highest unemployment rates were in the Ústí nad Labem region (6.0%) and the Moravian-Silesian region (5.4%), while Prague had the lowest rate at 2.9%.
At the district level, the differences were even more pronounced: at the end of August, the districts of Most (8.5%), Karviná (8.3%), and Chomutov (7.1%) reported the highest unemployment rates. The lowest rates were recorded in the districts of Prague East (1.5%) and Prague West (1.7%).
