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Unemployment grew by more than expected in January to 6.8 percent. The number of unemployed in the Czech Republic rose last month by over 48,000 to nearly 384,000, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Work and Social Affairs on Monday. Analysts were expecting the unemployment rate to be closer to 6.5 percent. As it is, the rise in unemployment is the highest in the history of the modern Czech Republic. At the same time, the number of unoccupied positions fell by over 77,000. According to government statistics, for every one unoccupied job in the Czech Republic, there are currently over five jobless.

Head of the Czech Green Party Martin Bursík has called the speech given by US Vice President Joe Biden at a NATO security conference ‘ambiguous’. In Munich on Saturday, Mr Biden said that the United States would press ahead with plans to build a radar base in the Czech Republic, should these plans be cost effective, and should the technology be proven to work. Speaking to TV Prima on Sunday, Environment Minister Mr Bursík called on the Czech government to wait for new US President Barack Obama to clarify his stance on the radar base before approving it in Parliament. Plans for an anti-missile defence shield to be situated some 90 kilometers from Prague have already been approved by the Czech Senate. They were due to be debated this week in the Chamber of Deputies, but the Green Party voted with the opposition Social Democrats to have the debate postponed.

Meanwhile, economic adviser to the government Miroslav Zamečník said on Sunday that he thought economic growth could fall by up to two percent if the state did not intervene. Speaking on TV station Prima, Mr Zamečník said that this would be the worst growth rate the country had experienced since 1993. Mr Zamečník is preparing a fiscal stimulus package with other leading Czech economists as part of the NERV committee advising the government. In the interview, the economist identified two major reasons, why, he said the Czech economy was faltering. Firstly, he said, a sharp drop in the number of foreign contracts was harming industry, and secondly, a nosedive in the number of foreign tourists visiting the country was hurting the service industry.

At a regional meeting, the Social Democrats resolved to try and block the sale of Prague’s Ruzyně airport. Social Democrats from the Central Bohemian region agreed on Saturday to do everything within their power to block the sale of the airport, which is currently being mooted by the government. According to the Social Democrats, selling the airport in the current financial crisis would result in the state asset fetching far less than it would otherwise be worth. Regional party head Richard Dolejš said that the government should not, in the current circumstances, be selling off the ‘family silver’.