In September, the total number of job seekers increased by 2,217 to a total of 263,020 and the unemployment rate remained at 3.6%. That is 6,640 more when compared to the same period of 2022. The unemployment rate increased to 3.1% for men, and remained at 4.2% for women.
A month-on-month increase in the unemployment rate was recorded in 57 districts, with the highest increases in the districts of Rychnov nad Kněžnou (by 9.6%), Domažlice (by 7.1%), Rakovník (by 6.8%), Český Krumlov (by 5.2%), Sokolov (by 4.9%), Jindřichův Hradec (by 4.8%), Litoměřice (by 4.6%) and Děčín (by 4.5%).
The unemployment rate stagnated in September, which is caused by the dynamics of several key factors. The various conflicting trends ultimately resulted in a balanced state.
On the one hand, there were pressures leading to a potential increase in the unemployment rate. Many graduates and students who did not secure their place in schools or companies have turned to Labour Offices. The end of summer also saw the end of seasonal job opportunities. Another reason for the increase is the economic slowdown, leading to a decrease in the volume of contracts. As a result, companies have begun to reduce the number of employees, especially blue collars, i.e. manual workers.
On the other hand, these negative influences were balanced by factors contributing to the growth of the labour market. For example, the upcoming Christmas season has brought about an increased demand for workers in the logistics and e-commerce sectors. Companies in these market segments began recruiting new employees in order to meet the expected increase in demand.
As at 30 September 2023, the Czech Labour Office registered a total of 281,995 vacancies. That is 788 more than in the previous month and 24,103 fewer than in September 2022. On average, there were 0.9 job seekers per vacancy, with the highest numbers reported in the districts of Karviná (10.0), Bruntál (6.0), Most (4.3), Děčín (3.8), Jeseník (3.5), Ústí nad Labem (3.5), Hodonín (3.2) and Opava (3.1).
According to the latest available data, the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate, processed by EUROSTAT for the purposes of international comparison, reached only 2.6% in the Czech Republic in August, as compared to 5.9% in the EU27. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Czech Republic was 2.5%, compared to 5.9% in the EU27.
In the 2nd quarter of 2023, the average gross nominal monthly salary*) (hereinafter “average salary”) was CZK 43,193, which is CZK 3,101 (7.7%) higher than in the same period in 2022. Consumer prices rose by 11.1% during this period, and real wages fell by 3.1% as a result. The amount of salaries increased by 8.3%, and the number of employees grew by 0.6%. Compared to the previous quarter, the seasonally adjusted average salary grew by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter of 2023.
Compared to the same period of the previous year, the median salary (CZK 36,816) increased by 7.8%, which corresponds to CZK 39,847 for men and CZK 33,862 for women. Eighty percent of employees received salaries between CZK 19,320 and CZK 70,247.
*calculated to the number of employees in the national economy
source: MPSV, ČSÚ, ec.europa.eu