Czechs stick to one job for over 11 years — almost a European record

On average, Czech employees stay with the same employer for 11.24 years — noticeably longer than the EU average, which stood at 10.6 years in 2025. The figures come from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which brings together the world's most developed economies.

Only Italians, Greeks, Slovenians and Portuguese hold onto their jobs longer than Czechs — but those countries typically have significantly higher unemployment, which explains workers' caution. Italy and Greece top the European ranking for job loyalty, with around 13 years in the same position. The Danes, by contrast, switch jobs most readily, staying with a single company for just under eight years on average. In the US, the median figure is a mere 3.9 years.

Yet unemployment in Czechia is among the lowest in the EU: according to Eurostat, it stood at just 3.1% in April, compared with 9.5% in Greece, 5.1% in Italy and 5.7% in Portugal. One might assume Czechs have little reason to fear job loss — and yet they still aren't in a hurry to move on.

"Czechs are quite cautious when it comes to changing jobs. From our recruitment experience, we know that a higher salary alone isn't enough to win them over — the commute, the team, benefits package, and whether a new employer will actually deliver on what was promised during the interview all matter just as much," says Marcela Vyskoková, a marketer at recruitment agency Advantage Consulting.

Experts describe this as a "cultural trait" typical of former Eastern Bloc countries — similarly low labour mobility can be seen across the region. According to Deloitte representative Andrea Černá, Czechs traditionally value stability over frequent change and, unlike Americans, are extremely reluctant to relocate for work.

The property market also plays a key role: high housing purchase and rental prices can completely wipe out any salary gain from moving to another region. For teachers, for instance, relocating from a small town to Prague makes little financial sense — their pay is fixed under a nationwide tariff scale, while rent in the capital is far higher.

The structure of the economy matters too: Czechia has a large share of employment in industry and engineering, sectors where staff turnover is traditionally lower than in digital or professional services, and narrow specialisation makes it harder for workers to transfer their skills to another field.

Another reason for caution is the state of household finances. According to the OECD, around 22% of Czech workers have no financial safety net whatsoever in case of job loss, and most of the rest have savings that would last only a few months at most. Even a brief period without income — during a notice period, probation, or retraining — can be a serious blow to a family's budget.

By comparison, Denmark uses a model that combines flexible hiring and firing with strong income insurance and active job-search support. As a result, around 28% of Danish workers change jobs every year, compared with only about 15% in Czechia. The OECD average is 22%.

Meanwhile, changing jobs benefits not just the individual but the economy as a whole: according to OECD calculations, moving directly from one company to another boosts pay by an average of 12%, while returning to work after a spell of unemployment brings a roughly 8% increase. Economists argue that low labour mobility makes an economy less efficient — companies struggle to find the right staff, and emerging industries struggle to build up their workforce.

Read also: Rental agreement in Czechia 2026: nájem vs podnájem, kauce

Source: seznamzpravy.cz