Unemployment holds steady at 4.8 percent as job vacancies increase

The unemployment rate in Czechia remained unchanged at 4.8 percent in June, the same level as in May. The stable figure was supported by ongoing seasonal work and the gradual recovery of the economy.

According to Raiffeisenbank analyst Tereza Krček the rate is likely to decline only gradually because the labour market is undergoing structural changes. Companies are increasingly looking for workers with specialised skills but struggle to find suitable candidates, while job seekers often cannot retrain for these positions quickly enough.

Radovan Hauk, a partner at the consulting group Moore CR, noted that labour offices recorded nearly 100,000 vacancies at the end of June. He argued, however, that the real number of available jobs is around 250,000. "Companies now recruit through social media, job portals and personal recommendations. The official data therefore captures only the tip of the iceberg," Hauk added.