As of December 31, 2024, the Czech Labor Office registered a total of 306,478 job seekers, an increase of 16,053 compared to November. The unemployment rate at the end of the year rose to 4.1%. Year-on-year, the unemployment rate was higher by 0.4 percentage points (pp), representing 27,251 more job seekers. In December, the Labor Office facilitated employment for 13,935 job seekers, which is 31% more than in the same period last year. Since the beginning of the year, 276,060 job seekers have found employment (for comparison, approximately the population of Ostrava), representing a year-on-year increase of 74% (in 2023: 158,508 clients). More and more people are undergoing retraining through the Labor Office, which is a key activity that helps people find better jobs. In December, the number of retraining programs increased year-on-year by 162%. Since the beginning of the year, a total of 43,819 people have participated in retraining programs offered by the Labor Office, which is 69% more than in the previous year (in 2023: 25,982 clients). Throughout 2024, the Czech Labor Office registered a total of 466,784 job seekers, compared to 448,801 in 2023. The unemployment rate in the Czech Republic is the lowest in the EU, according to the latest available data.

Throughout 2024, the registered unemployment rate remained at higher levels than in 2023 and mirrored the trend of 2022. While the unemployment rate at the beginning of 2024 was 0.1 pp higher than in 2023, this difference began to gradually increase in the second half of 2024, reaching 0.4 pp by the end of December 2024. This contrasts with the trend in the autumn of 2023, when the unemployment rate decreased and was at the same level in the last three months of 2023 as it was in 2022. However, according to Eurostat, the unemployment rate in the Czech Republic remains the lowest in the entire EU.

“Since the beginning of this year, we have taken another significant step in digitalization, which will make life easier for a large group of citizens and improve the efficiency of state services. The employment services are also now available in the Client Zone (Jenda), and I am very pleased that thousands of people have already used the option to submit online applications for job placement and unemployment benefits, saving them the trip to the office. Regarding the current development of unemployment in the Czech Republic, it has increased slightly, but we are still maintaining the lowest level in the entire European Union,” said the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Marian Jurečka (KDU-ČSL).

“Looking back at the entire year of 2024, I believe there is a noticeable shift in the way the entire Czech Labor Office operates. We have managed to facilitate employment for more than 276,000 people, which is 74% more than in 2023. We are also making significant progress in increasing the number of people who participate in retraining and other educational courses, which is a fundamental prerequisite for stimulating the Czech labor market. We have also launched projects that help improve the employment prospects of specific groups, such as young people without work experience, older workers, and people with disabilities,” explained the Director General of the Czech Labor Office, Daniel Krištof.

It also outlines the priorities of the employment office until 2025. "I am pleased that the digitalization in the field of employment will free up resources for real assistance to people and active advisory services for our clients. And we will increasingly use data to help job seekers, especially those who may have difficulty finding a new job, so that we can work with them intensively from the start and provide them with much more and faster assistance," Krištof adds.

"The 'Jenda' system and the new online employment platform that we have integrated into it demonstrate that the Czech state is also capable of digitalization. The key is to set up the entire system correctly, start preparing it early, and thoroughly and repeatedly test everything in various forms in advance. The fact that, in the first few days of operation of the new system, approximately half of the applicants are already using the platform online is a huge success. This is the fastest rollout of any digital process we have undertaken, and it shows that people are happy to use it because it is simply simple and convenient for them. The saying still holds true that data should circulate, not people," reminds Karel Trpkoš, Deputy Director of the Information Technology Department of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

12/202412/202312/2022
Unemployment rate in the Czech Republic4.1%3.7%3.7%
Number of job seekers306,478279,227271,803
Number of reachable job seekers284,430256,264247,793
Number of job openings246,573271,789288,647
Unemployment rate according to EUROSTAT (October)2.6%2.9%2.1%

In December 2024, the Czech Labor Office registered 38,637 new individuals. Month-over-month, the unemployment rate increased in all regions except for the capital city of Prague. In absolute terms, the largest increase in the number of job seekers was in the South Moravian, Moravian-Silesian, and Central Bohemian regions. Compared to the previous month, the number of job openings slightly decreased to 246,573 (compared to 255,641 in November).

Over 152,000 refugees are working in the Czech Republic, with women in the majority

According to the Czech Labor Office (ÚP ČR), as of the end of December 2024, there were a total of 152,762 valid employment contracts in place with individuals from Ukraine who have been granted temporary protection (this is a qualified estimate). In these employment contracts, women were in the majority, with 93,816 (approximately 61% of employment contracts). The largest numbers were in Prague (28,955), the Central Bohemian Region (27,105), and the Pilsen Region (19,829). Individuals with temporary protection are most often employed as construction helpers, production workers, or transportation workers, as well as machine operators and assemblers. In some areas, employers have thus gained employees who were in high demand.

At the end of December, the Czech Labor Office (ÚP ČR) registered a total of **16,209** Ukrainian citizens with temporary protection (compared to **15,990** in November), who had applied for registration as job seekers (2,279 job seekers, compared to 2,305 in November) or for job placement services (13,930 job applicants, compared to 13,685 in November). Of the total number of job applicants, Ukrainian citizens with temporary protection accounted for **4.5%** (compared to 5.5% in November). Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, a total of **62,983** (compared to 62,265 in November) individuals with temporary protection have been registered with the Czech Labor Office.

Unemployment increased the most year-on-year in the north: in the Olomouc, Moravian-Silesian, and Liberec regions.

The highest percentage of unemployed individuals (the percentage of reachable job seekers aged 15-64) was in the Ústí Region (6.2%) and the Moravian-Silesian Region (5.8%) in December. These regions also had the highest percentage of unemployed individuals during the same period last year. Conversely, the lowest unemployment rate was in Prague (2.8%) and the Plzeň Region (3.3%). The situation changed the most year-on-year in the Olomouc, Moravian-Silesian, and Liberec regions, where the percentage of unemployed individuals increased by 0.6 percentage points compared to December 2024. At the district level, the differences are even more pronounced. The lowest unemployment rate was at the end of December in the districts of Prague-East (1.5%), Prague-West (1.6%), Plzeň-South (2.2%), and Rychnov nad Kněžnou (2.3%). Conversely, the highest percentage of unemployed individuals was reported in the districts of Karviná (8.5%), Most (8.4%), Bruntál (8.1%), and Chomutov (7.1%). Unemployment increased the most in the Chrudim district (by 17.6%).

The average unemployed person is approximately 43 years old and has a lower level of education.

The average age of the unemployed was **42.7 years** in December, compared to **42.8 years** last year. The age structure of job seekers has not changed significantly in the past five years. And even in the past 12 months, only minor changes have occurred.

Compared to the previous year in December, the percentage of unemployed individuals in the age group **under 29** increased by 0.6 percentage points, and the percentage in the **50+** category increased by 0.4 percentage points. As of December 31, 2024, there were a total of **110,759** individuals over 50 registered with the Czech Labor Office, representing **36.1%** of the total number of unemployed.

In terms of education, the most frequent job seekers were those with **lower qualifications, primarily those with vocational training without a high school diploma and those with basic education.**

During the past month, 39,078 individuals with disabilities (PWD) were seeking employment, representing 12.8% of the total number of unemployed. Employers, through the Czech Labor Office (ÚP ČR), offered a total of 11,042 job openings. These positions primarily included roles for cleaners and household helpers, security personnel, production assistants, and assembly workers. Changes in the structure of the unemployed based on education levels indicate that the largest year-on-year increase occurred among registered applicants with secondary education (8,554) and among vocational applicants (7,977). Regarding occupations, at the end of December, the Czech Labor Office registered the highest number of unskilled and low-skilled workers, totaling 88,711.

At the end of December, the Czech Labor Office registered a total of 17,318 young people (aged 15-18) and graduates of all levels of education. This is 396 fewer than the previous month, but 2,602 more than a year ago. They accounted for 5.7% of the total unemployment (November: 6.1%, December 2023: 5.3%). Within this category of graduates and young people, the Czech Labor Office registered a total of 11,708 graduates and 5,650 young people, representing 1.8% of the total number of job seekers. As with other groups of job seekers at risk of long-term unemployment, the Czech Labor Office provides these clients with increased support. Career counselors from the Information and Counseling Centers pay particular attention to young people, inviting them for individual meetings and working closely with them.

Job seekers are registered for an average of 484 days

Over the past 12 months, the structure of job seekers has changed based on the length of time they have been registered with the Czech Labor Office. Compared to the previous year, the percentage of those who have been unemployed for less than three months decreased by 2.7 percentage points to 30.9% of the total number of unemployed. This represents 94,743 people. Conversely, the percentage of job seekers who have been registered for more than 12 months increased by 1.5 percentage points to 31% (94,899 people). The average registration period decreased by 11 days compared to November, to 484 days.

Thanks to the labor office, nearly 14,000 people found new jobs in December, almost a third more than last year

During December, the Czech Labor Office registered 38,637 new individuals. This represents a month-over-month increase of 598 people (1.6%) and a year-over-year increase of 49 people (0.1%). The regions with the highest number of new unemployed are South Moravia (4,910) and Moravian-Silesian Region (4,869). Conversely, the region with the lowest number is the Karlovy Vary Region (1,031). By district, the highest number of newly unemployed individuals registered with the Czech Labor Office was in Prague (3,083), while the lowest was in the Plzeň-South district (173). Currently, people are primarily contacting the Czech Labor Office to request job placement assistance and registration, particularly those coming from sectors such as public administration and defense, retail and wholesale, plant and animal production, metal construction, education, and engineering. In December, the Czech Labor Office successfully found new jobs for 13,935 people (which is 31% more than last year; in November this year, it was 24,098 people). Conversely, 22,584 job seekers left the registry, which is 14,033 people (38.3%) fewer than in the previous month and 3 fewer than in December 2023. 15,831 people obtained new jobs.

30% of registered job seekers receive unemployment benefits

In December, 93,403 people received unemployment benefits, representing 30.5% of all job seekers (November 2024 – 29.7%, December 2023 – 30.9%). The number of job seekers eligible for unemployment benefits increased year-over-year by 7,056. On average, job seekers received 11,396 Czech crowns per month (November – 11,477 Czech crowns). 2,489 people (2.7%) received unemployment benefits of up to 4,500 Czech crowns. These are primarily clients who registered with the Czech Labor Office after, for example, parental leave, who were caring for a close relative, or who were temporarily unable to work after ending their employment. The Czech Labor Office paid the maximum amount of benefits, which is 24,608 Czech crowns, to 4,479 (4.8%) job seekers in December. In December 2024, the Czech Labor Office paid out a total of 1,061,393,000 Czech crowns in unemployment benefits and retraining programs (in November 2024, a total of 1,057,716,000 Czech crowns).

The number of job openings decreased due to winter; employers are seeking the most employees in Prague and the Central Bohemian Region

At the end of last month, employers offered a total of 246,573 job openings through the Czech Labor Office (ÚP ČR), which is 9,068 fewer than in November and 25,216 fewer than a year ago (a decrease of 9%). On average, there is approximately 1.2 job applicants for each available position in the Czech Republic. This is particularly high in the Karviná (11.4), Hodonín (7.8), Děčín (6.9), and Bruntál (6.6) districts. 73.8% of the reported job openings are for positions requiring basic or lower education, and 68% are suitable for foreign nationals. Employers are most interested in workers in the construction industry, assembly workers, forklift operators and warehouse workers, cooks, truck and tractor drivers, and cleaners, according to the Czech Labor Office's records. The highest demand for new employees is in Prague (73,744 positions) and the Central Bohemian Region (45,948 positions). There has been a significant decrease in the number of job openings since January, as a new law comes into full effect, automatically removing job postings from the database after six months. The Czech Labor Office helps employers fill vacancies and assists job seekers in finding employment through its key activity, which is labor market monitoring. In addition, it organizes recruitment processes, thematic seminars, and provides assistance with retraining programs.

Active Employment Policy: Nearly 44,000 people retrained since the beginning of the year

The Czech Labor Office provides increased support to all groups of job seekers and those at risk of long-term unemployment. As of December 31st, a total of 13,504 job seekers and applicants were supported through active employment policy (AP) instruments (this is the total number of all job seekers or applicants who used any AP instrument by the end of December 2024).

For example, at the end of December, 376 people were working in publicly beneficial work programs (VPP). 5,284 people were supported with financial resources for socially beneficial employment positions (SÚPM). Employers created eight new positions, for which the Czech Labor Office provides funding for equipment (SÚPM). In addition, 585 former job seekers were running their own businesses at the end of December 2024 with the support received through SÚPM.

The contribution for commuting also helps people return to the labor market. In December 2024, the Czech Labor Office supported 362 people through this program. The Czech Labor Office also provides increased support to people with disabilities (PWD). In their case as well, contributions are provided to support their employment. As of the end of December, 321 PWD were receiving such support.

An important tool of AP is retraining, which the Czech Labor Office financially supports not only for job seekers but also for those who are already employed. As of December 31, 2024, 4,330 people participated in these programs (compared to 1,652 people on December 31, 2023, which is a 162% increase year-on-year). A total of 43,819 clients participated in retraining programs throughout 2024, which is 69% more than in 2023 (25,982 clients).

The most common type of retraining offered includes Czech language courses for foreigners, digital skills training including artificial intelligence, and courses focused on obtaining specific professional certifications. There is also interest in public service programs. In total, the Czech Labor Office (ÚP ČR) has contracts with 5608 positions, primarily with municipalities, non-profit organizations, primary and preschool schools, and libraries. The largest number of positions are located in the Ústí Region (1937) and the Moravian-Silesian Region (1390). This includes not only activities related to maintaining the cleanliness of streets and public spaces, and landscaping, but also activities that people perform during public sporting, cultural, and similar events. Public service is also provided in the form of support activities related to social care (e.g., in outpatient and community social services).

In December, a total of 3217 people were participating in public service programs. These programs are primarily for individuals in difficult financial circumstances, who are fulfilling their obligation to actively seek employment and increase their income through work. A benefit is that participants who work more than 30 hours per month also receive an increase in the minimum amount from which the amount of the living allowance is calculated. The Czech Labor Office welcomes new organizations to offer public service programs. Information for organizers and clients is available for download here: https://www.uradprace.cz/web/cz/pomoc-v-hmotne-nouzi.

Information on unemployment trends is published on www.mpsv.cz/web/cz/mesicni.

Czech Labor Office (ÚP ČR) / gnews.cz - RoZ.

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