Half of Czechia is affected by shortage of social service workers
According to a survey by the Association of Social Service Providers, more than half of social facilities in Czechia are short-staffed. This amounts to more than three thousand people. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs intends to present a solution to the problem in its upcoming National Strategy for the Development of Social Services.
To address labor shortages, some regions in Czechia have been developing ingenious solutions. In Kolín, for example, a local secondary school provides workers for social services.
Štefan Jambrich has been working at the Kolín retirement home with respite care and day care center for five months.
"The teacher who supervised my internship told me that it would be nice if I helped the seniors. I would like to continue working here," says Jambrich.
He graduated from a local two-year Catholic high school, from which he came here for his internship. During his internship, he became popular with both the local clients and the management, says Andrea Faltysová, the director of the home.
Speaking to Czech Radio, she added that she is aware of the shortage of caregivers, but with twelve employees at the facility, she has not yet had to deal with a staff shortage.
"We noticed Štefan, and when a colleague left, we offered him a part-time job. I must say that we are not complaining at all and are not experiencing any shortages yet, but of course we are concerned about this issue in the future, as developments in the labor market are not favorable."
Her comments on the labor market are confirmed by Jiří Horecký, president of the Association of Social Service Providers.
"According to the latest survey, there is a total shortage of three thousand social service workers. The greatest shortage is in the Central Bohemian Region, while the smallest is in the Karlovy Vary Region."
The Association is addressing the shortage of workers with the Czech government. The most common topic is motivating people to work in social services.
"We are currently negotiating and will continue to do so. This is also related, for example, to the planned increase in salaries and wages in the social services sector in 2026."
The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is addressing the issue, says spokeswoman Kateřina Procházková.
"The issue of employees in social services is a high priority in the draft National Strategy for the Development of Social Services."
The number of employees in care services is increasing every year. But due to the demanding nature of the work, employees often leave. The ministry therefore aims to address the issue from a broader perspective.
"We aim to support not only the profession of social worker but also coordination and cooperation within social work, and we are planning changes in the education of social service workers."
According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the shortage of workers in social services is a problem across Europe.
