19 Job Seekers per Vacancy in Karviná — Yet Companies Are Gearing Up to Hire

Unemployment in Czechia held steady at 5% in August, matching July's level. According to labour office data, the number of registered job seekers reached 373,891 — up 6,545 from the previous month. At the same time, the number of vacancies fell by 1,658 to 99,274, meaning an average of 3.8 people competed for each open position.

"The labour market situation remains stable," said Labour Minister Aleš Juchelka (ANO). Compared to last year, however, things have worsened: unemployment stood at 4.5% back then, with roughly 40,000 fewer people out of work.

Karviná Sees the Worst Ratio

The most unfavourable balance between job supply and demand in the first month of summer was recorded in the Karviná district, where 19.2 candidates competed for every vacancy. Next came Ústí nad Labem (16.9), Děčín (16.4) and Sokolov (15.2). The Ústí Region has the highest number of unemployed overall, and the situation there has also deteriorated over the past year.

Employers Remain Optimistic

Despite the statistics, employers are upbeat about the final stretch of the year. According to a survey by staffing firm ManpowerGroup, of the 504 companies polled, 37% said they plan to expand their workforce, 13% expect cuts, and half don't intend to change staffing levels at all.

The gap between companies planning to hire and those expecting layoffs came to 24 percentage points — 10 points higher than a year ago. Still, the survey only reflects companies' intentions, not the actual number of new vacancies that will materialise.

Retail and logistics show the strongest appetite for new staff, with the biggest gap between hiring and cutting plans of any sector. Technical firms and construction also report good prospects. Sentiment in the automotive industry has notably improved after a sluggish hiring quarter.

"We're seeing a clear appetite to hire in retail and logistics. Household consumption is gradually rising, which is driving extra demand for people in sales, warehousing and transport," said Jaroslava Rezlerová, CEO of ManpowerGroup Czech Republic. She noted that carmakers and their suppliers are looking not just for production workers but also technicians and automation specialists.

Where Jobs Are Being Cut

Two sectors have more companies expecting to cut staff than to hire: energy and utilities, and information and communication services — a category that, per ManpowerGroup, includes media, publishing and telecoms.

Company size matters too. Firms with 250 to 999 employees show the strongest hiring intentions. The smallest companies — those with under ten employees — are more cautious, with their hiring plans deteriorating noticeably over just one quarter.

Rising unemployment hasn't made it any easier for companies to find staff, either: nearly a third report that filling vacancies now takes longer than a year ago, most often due to candidates lacking the required skills or a shortage of qualified workers in their region. The result is a paradox — the number of unemployed is growing, yet companies still struggle to find suitable candidates for open positions.

Source: novinky.cz