In May, the number of job seekers decreased by 2,480 to a total of 316,060, and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.2%. That is 41,738 more when compared to the same period of 2024.
Among the districts, unemployment was highest in the districts of Most (9.4 %), Karviná (9.0%), Chomutov (7.4%), Bruntál (7.3%) a Sokolov (7.1%) and lowest in the districts of Praha-východ a Praha-západ, Rychnov nad Kněžnou, Pelhřimov, Benešov, Zlín and Jičín. A highest month-on-month increase in the unemployment rate was recorded in the districts of Karviná, Ostrava a Přerov.
After many months, we have seen a decline in the unemployment rate. This can be attributed primarily to increased demand for workers ahead of the summer season. Companies want to hire new employees before the holidays, during which there is neither space nor time for recruitment due to vacations. We have also already noticed demand for seasonal workers.
Companies are looking for employees across all sectors. We have seen a change compared to previous years, particularly in the IT sector, where it is easier to find employees. In our experience, IT employees are more responsive to job offers than in the past. We perceive a difference between blue-collar and white-collar workers. While manual workers are finding jobs more easily, there are currently more office workers on the job market. One of the reasons for this is that a large number of companies have changed their organisational structure and reduced middle management. In addition, employment offices report an increase in the number of job seekers who remain registered with the employment office for a longer period of time and are long-term unemployed.
The REBR 2025 survey shows that the intention to change jobs has increased slightly (26%). As in previous years, the main reason is insufficient pay (43.5%). Generation Z and blue-collar workers are the most likely to plan to change jobs.
As at the end of May 2025, the Czech Labour Office registered a total of 96, 413 vacancies. That is 615 more than in the previous month. Employers in Prague (23,805 positions) and the Central Bohemian Region (15,344 positions) consistently offer the most job vacancies. On average, there were 3.3 applicants per vacancy, with the highest number of applicants in the districts of Karviná (23.5), Sokolov (15.4), Děčín (13.2), Hodonín (11.7) or Bruntál (10.2).
According to the Czech Labour Office, employers are most often interested in workers in the field of building construction, cooks, forklift operators and warehouse workers, assembly workers, truck and tractor drivers, and cleaners.
In the 1st quarter of 2025, the average gross nominal monthly salary* (hereinafter “average salary”) was CZK 46,924, which is CZK 2,943 (6.7%) higher than in the same period in 2024. Consumer prices increased by 2.7% during this period, and real wages increased by 3.9% as a result. The amount of salaries increased by 7.1%, and the number of employees grew by 0.4%. Compared to the previous quarter, the seasonally adjusted average salary grew by 1.7% during the 1st quarter of 2025.
Compared to the same period of the previous year, the median salary (CZK 38,385) increased by 5.3%, which corresponds to CZK 41,677 for men and CZK 35,226 for women. Eighty percent of employees received salaries between CZK 21,136 and CZK 73,611.
source: MPSV, ČSÚ, ÚP ČR
* calculated to the number of employees in the national economy