Aug 22, 2026

Foreign Workers Now Make Up 22% of Czech Employees

Prague Morning

Foreign workers accounted for around 22% of all employees in the Czech Republic at the end of 2025, according to data from the Czech National Bank (ČNB).

Their number has nearly tripled over the past decade, rising from about 323,000 in 2015 to 935,000 last year.

The increase has significantly changed the makeup of the Czech labor market. Foreign workers represented roughly 8% of all employees in 2015. By the end of 2025, their share had reached 22%.

Ukrainians made up the largest group of foreign employees, with approximately 358,000 working in Czechia at the end of last year. Slovaks were the second-largest group, numbering almost 230,000.

The Czech labor market has also seen increasing numbers of workers from other countries outside the European Union, including the Philippines and India.

Foreign workers are particularly important in several sectors, including manufacturing, construction, retail, transport and hospitality.

Their presence is most pronounced in accommodation, food services and hospitality. Foreign nationals accounted for more than half of all employees in the sector at the end of 2025.

The figures should, however, be interpreted with some caution when comparing individual industries. The CNB notes that employment agencies can distort the sectoral breakdown.

Workers employed through agencies are recorded in official statistics under administrative and support services, even when their actual jobs are in manufacturing, construction, logistics or other industries.