Unemployment rose in September for first time since 2013

The unemployment rate in Czechia grew by 0.1 percent to 3.5 percent between the months of August and September, the Labour Office announced on Monday, with 256,380 people registered as looking for work. At the same time, the Labour Office reported that employers were offering 306,098 jobs, a decrease by roughly 6,200 when compared to August.

While it may be small, the September rise in unemployment was the first registered in that period in month-on-month terms since 2013. Analysts questioned by the Czech News Agency said that this was an indication of the beginning of a cool down in the Czech economy. They expect unemployment will continue a slow rise in the coming months, as a result of economic slowdown. However, they said that it was unlikely that this will lead to any radical downsizing wave among the country’s businesses.