Daily summary of the Czech economy: house prices, labour market, disabled, investment and import tariffs (18 August 2025)

Overview of the latest economic events in the Czech Republic
The proportion of Czechs aged 20-65 with disabilities who are actively employed reached 50 % last year, compared to just 41 % in 2018. Nine out of 10 workers found employment on the open labour market, but 45 % of people with disabilities had difficulties finding their current job and about one in six of those employed faced discrimination, according to data from the Czech Statistical Office (CSO). These statistics are of key importance for banks such as Česká spořitelna and Komerční banka, which can refocus their CSR programmes on promoting inclusive employment, which could have a positive impact on their reputation and social responsibility.

The real estate market recorded a significant increase in prices of older family houses in Q2: by 11 % year-on-year, by 3 % quarter-on-quarter. The average price per square metre reached CZK 42,843. The fastest growth in apartment prices is in Brno and Plzeň, the slowest in Olomouc. In the regions of Ústí nad Ostravou and Ostrava, prices even decreased by one percent. This data was compiled by the real estate platform FérMakléři.cz. The price growth may be influenced by mortgages offered by Česká spořitelna, Raiffeisenbank or UniCredit Bank, as well as the activities of medium-sized developers such as Skanska Reality or Central Group.

Foreign investment
In the area of foreign investment, it is worth noting the bearish trend in Asian stock markets - although the Nikkei, Taiwanese and Chinese blue-chip indices have reached ten-month highs, investors are waiting for cues from the Jackson Hole summit. Markets are highly likely to await the US Fed's September rate cut. These expectations may attract global investors' interest in export entities such as Skoda Auto or CEZ, while their shares could react to changes in global demand and financial flows.

Significant events outside the Czech Republic with global impact
The United States has activated sweeping new import tariffs on more than 60 countries since early August, triggering trade shocks with the United Kingdom, India, the European Union and other partners. At the same time, the escalation of the US-India trade dispute has deepened: the US administration has slapped tariffs of up to 50 % on Indian products, leading to diplomatic tensions and challenging strategic cooperation. This has the potential to disrupt global supply chains and increase pressure to restructure production and logistics.

Global markets are also influenced by geopolitics: the summit between President Trump and President Putin brought a cautious shift in rhetoric towards the ideal of a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. This has reduced concerns about US sanctions on Russian oil and led to a fall in oil prices. This development may also have an impact on European energy companies, including the Czech CEZ, which is closely monitoring the dynamics of commodity prices on global markets.

gnews.cz - GH

Current exchange rates according to the CNB and Google Rates

tradingeconomics.com