In December, unemployment in the Czech Republic rose to 3.7%, up from 3.5% in the previous three months. According to data released on Monday by the Czech Labor Office (ÚP ČR), 271,803 people applied for jobs through employment agencies more than a month ago, with 14,616 people applying in the last month. Meanwhile, the number of available job openings decreased by approximately 3,300 compared to November, when employers posted 288,647 job openings. Analysts were expecting an increase in unemployment in the last month of the year, as is the case every year. The highest unemployment rate in December, at 5.5%, was recorded in the Ústí Region, while the Moravian-Silesian Region followed with 5.1%. These regions have the highest proportion of long-term unemployed people, according to experts. Conversely, the lowest unemployment rate in December was recorded in the Pardubice, Pilsen, and Zlín regions, at 2.9%.

Throughout the year, unemployment followed a classic development curve that takes seasonal effects into account. "Until August, it was lower compared to 2021 in annual comparison. It was the same in September and we recorded an increase since October, but it was very moderate and moved in units of one-tenth of a percentage point," said Viktor Najmon, General Director of the Czech Labor Office. Unemployment among middle school and vocational school graduates fell to 4.4%.

Employers are still interested in workers, especially those with technical and manual skills. There is a long-term demand for skilled craftsmen. Unemployment will likely increase in the coming months due to the seasonal decrease in temporary labor. The labor market situation, among other factors, will depend on the course of the war in Ukraine, the current pandemic situation, and the impact of the energy crisis on employers, according to the ÚP. At the end of last year, according to records from employment offices, 173,246 Ukrainians were working in the Czech Republic, with temporary protection provided, compared to less than 100,000 the previous month. The majority were women and mostly worked as assembly or assistant workers in construction, manufacturing, and transportation.