In February, the number of job seekers increased to a total of 381,705, which is 55,482 more than last year, and the unemployment rate climbed to 5.2%. The number of newly registered individuals was 21,858 lower compared to the previous month, but 6,223 higher year-on-year.
Among the regions, the highest unemployment rates remain in the Ústí nad Labem Region (7.6%) and the Moravian-Silesian Region (7.0%). At the district level, the highest rates in February were recorded in Most (10.4%), Karviná (10.3%), Bruntál (9.4%), followed by Chomutov and Sokolov (both 8.1%). Conversely, very low unemployment—below 3%—is traditionally reported by the Czech Labour Office in the districts of Prague-East and Prague-West, as well as in Rychnov nad Kněžnou.
The unemployment rate rose again in February. This mirrors last year's development and is consistent with the annual trend. The statistics reflect the expiration of fixed-term contracts that ended at the close of the year, alongside seasonal factors, as sectors such as construction, agriculture, forestry, and tourism see a decline in demand during winter months due to the weather. At the same time, the importance of technological change is growing—specifically automation, which increases pressure on low-skilled workers, particularly in sectors with higher automation potential. According to our HR Trends 2026 survey, 77% of companies have a positive attitude toward using AI, highlighting the need for government and regional strategies focused on upskilling and reskilling the workforce to better adapt to changing labor market demands.
The coming months will show whether companies move toward larger-scale hiring or continue to maintain current staffing levels. According to our HR Trends 2026 survey, 25% of companies plan to increase their headcount this year, while 8% expect layoffs, and the majority (66%) anticipate no changes.
As of the end of February, employers offered a total of 89,705 vacancies through the Czech Labour Office, an increase of 3,274 compared to January. The highest number of vacancies is repeatedly offered by employers in Prague (23,057 positions) and the Central Bohemian Region (13,555 positions). On average, there are currently approximately 4.3 applicants per vacancy in the Czech Republic, with the highest ratios in the districts of Karviná (20.6), Sokolov (18.4), Děčín (17.1), and Bruntál (13.6). There were 195,926 women in the registry, accounting for 51.3% of all registered job seekers.
According to Czech Labour Office records, employers are primarily interested in construction laborers, truck and heavy goods vehicle drivers, forklift operators and warehouse workers, cooks, assembly workers, and cleaners.
In the 4th quarter of 2025, the average gross nominal monthly salary* (hereinafter “average salary”) was CZK 52,283. That is CZK 3,616 (7.4%) higher when compared to the same period of 2024. Consumer prices increased by 2.2% during this period, and real wages increased by 5.1% as a result. The amount of salaries increased by 7.7%, and the number of employees grew by 0.2%. Compared to the previous quarter, the seasonally adjusted average salary grew by 1.8% during the 4th quarter of 2025.
Compared to the same period of the previous year, the median salary (CZK 45,523) increased by 8.8%, which corresponds to CZK 48,342 for men and CZK 42,692 for women. Eighty percent of employees received salaries between CZK 23,282 and CZK 89,006.
source: MPSV, ČSÚ, ÚP ČR
* calculated to the number of employees in the national economy