A slight uptick in unemployment marked the end of November in Czechia, with the number of registered job seekers reaching 341,311—up 802 from October and a sharp 50,886 more than the same period last year. This figure represents the highest since March 2017, though the overall rate held steady at 4.6%, a 0.7 percentage point increase year-over-year. The Labor Office reported a minor dip in available jobs, signaling a cautious close to the year on the jobs front.
Labor Minister Marian Jurečka (KDU-ČSL) highlighted the market’s resilience, noting that despite recent modest rises, Czechia’s labor market remains in solid shape. Seasonal hiring in retail, e-commerce, and logistics has propped up demand, staving off steeper declines, according to Martin Jánský, general director of Randstad Czech Republic. Yet, demand for part-time gigs lags 5-6% behind last year, as many firms hit pause on recruitment amid economic uncertainty heading into 2026’s first quarter.
The divide between job types tells a stark story: blue-collar roles in manual labor face fierce competition from employers, with unemployment near rock-bottom levels, while white-collar positions—think admins, managers, and lawyers—see growing numbers of seekers. Available jobs totaled 90,627 by late November, down 3,372 from the prior month, concentrated heavily in Prague and Central Bohemia. Nationally, 3.8 job seekers chase each opening on average.
Regional disparities paint a tougher picture up north. The Ústí Region tops the list at 6.9% unemployment, followed closely by Moravskoslezsko at 6.3%, while Prague stays a bright spot at 3.5%. Districts like Most (9.7%) and Karviná (9.4%) struggle most, where ratios exceed 17-22 seekers per vacancy—hotspots underscoring the north’s “problem” status in a otherwise robust economy.
As winter sets in, experts watch whether seasonal boosts can offset hesitancy among businesses. For now, the market’s stability offers reassurance, but rising white-collar idleness and northern woes signal potential headwinds ahead in Czechia’s evolving job landscape
