Czech unemployment benefit cut from 2027: unions demand withdrawal

The Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions (ČMKOS) has demanded that the government withdraw its plan to reduce unemployment benefit. Under the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs' proposal, the initial benefit would fall from 80 to 65 percent of previous net earnings from January 2027.

“The government is looking for billions in the wallets of people who have just lost their jobs. The salary is gone, but rent, energy and the costs of raising children still have to be paid,” ČMKOS chairman Josef Středula said in a press release.

In addition, the proposal would cut the maximum benefit from 80 to 60 percent of the average wage. According to the unions' calculations, for someone with a previous net salary of 30,000 crowns, the difference over the first two months would come to 9,000 crowns.

Labour Minister Aleš Juchelka (ANO) has repeatedly defended the change, arguing that it should encourage people to return to work faster. The ministry expects to save about 5 billion crowns a year.

The unions dispute this logic. Their analysis shows that only about a quarter of registered jobseekers receive the benefit, and that the main problem is growing long-term unemployment. ČMKOS therefore proposes keeping the current parameters for several years, assessing their impact, and strengthening retraining and labour office support instead of making cuts.

Around Prague guide on the topic: Минимальная и средняя зарплата в Чехии 2026

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz