Despite a rise in available jobs, the Czech Republic’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3% in April, signaling structural mismatches in the labor market.

The unemployment rate in the Czech Republic stayed at 4.3% in April, the same as in March, according to data released by the Czech Labour Office (Úřad práce ČR) on Monday.

While the overall number of people without work fell slightly, the labor market remains under pressure from sectoral imbalances and low demand in key industries.

By the end of April, 318,540 people were officially unemployed, down by about 3,600 compared to the previous month.

However, the number of registered job vacancies increased by 4,046 to 95,798. Compared to April 2023, the unemployment rate has risen by 0.6 percentage points, up from 3.7%.

Economists had predicted that unemployment would drop slightly due to seasonal hiring in agriculture and construction. Instead, stagnation in other sectors, especially manufacturing, appears to have offset those gains.

Regional Disparities Persist

The Ústí nad Labem Region reported the highest unemployment rate in April at 6.6%, followed by the Moravian-Silesian Region (6%) and the Karlovy Vary Region (5.4%). On the opposite end, Prague recorded just 3.1% unemployment.

While unemployment rose slightly—by 0.1 percentage point—in Prague and Karlovy Vary, it either remained stable or decreased in the rest of the country.

Among specific districts, Most (9.4%) and Karviná (8.9%) had the highest jobless rates. In contrast, unemployment was below 3% in Prague-East, Prague-West, Rychnov nad Kněžnou, Pelhřimov, Zlín, Benešov, and Jičín.

The sharpest month-on-month increases were seen in Karviná, Teplice, Česká Lípa, and Sokolov. Year-on-year, the worst performers were Most, Sokolov, Česká Lípa, and Vsetín.

Job Seekers Outnumber Vacancies in Some Regions

On average, there are 3.3 job seekers for every open position. But in places like Karviná, nearly 24 people compete for a single vacancy—a stark contrast that highlights regional economic disparities.

According to Labour Office data, employers are currently seeking:

• Construction workers
• Forklift operators and warehouse staff
• Cooks, assembly line workers, truck and tractor drivers, and cleaners

However, officials caution that vacancy data from the Labour Office does not fully represent the private market, as many positions are filled outside the official registry.

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