More than half of Czech employees are concerned about losing their jobs in the coming year, a new survey by personnel company Randstad CR has revealed.
At the same time, a significant proportion of workers are considering changing jobs on their own initiative, driven primarily by dissatisfaction with wages.
According to the survey, 54.4 percent of Czech workers fear job loss in 2024. Despite Czechia’s historically low unemployment rate — 3.8 percent in October — economic uncertainty stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic and high energy prices has heightened anxieties. Analysts predict unemployment could exceed 4 percent by early 2025 but remain relatively stable.
As cited by Echo24, Randstad CR director Martin Jánský attributed these fears to broader economic and technological factors. “The turbulent development of the economy in recent years has left a psychological impact,” he explained. “Additionally, sectors such as automotive are particularly vulnerable to developments abroad, notably in Germany.”
Concerns about technological advancements, including artificial intelligence, further contribute to the insecurity with Jánský noting that Rapid technological changes are “making some employees feel threatened.”
The survey also revealed a high level of mobility within the Czech labor force. Over half (56.1 percent) of employees are contemplating a job change in 2024, with 43.5 percent saying they definitely intend to switch roles. Low wages are the leading motivator for 39.9 percent of those seeking new roles, followed by the desire for better work-life balance (28.7 percent) and career growth prospects (11.2 percent).
Jánský emphasized that companies need to take proactive steps to retain talent in a competitive job market.
“If companies want to keep quality employees, they should focus on adequate financial remuneration, work-life balance, and career growth opportunities,” he said. Programs to improve qualifications and enhance professional development could play a crucial role in addressing workers’ concerns.
Last week, thousands of Czech police officers, firefighters, and members of other security forces unions gathered outside the interior ministry in Prague to demand higher wages and improvements to staffing and working conditions.
The protest, organized by the Union of Security Forces (UBS), drew an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 participants, with unions representing police, firefighters, customs officers, prison staff, and municipal police joining forces to voice their frustrations and boo Interior Minister Vít Rakušan as he addressed the crowd.
The following day, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala acknowledged the concerns of working people, telling lawmakers in the Chamber of Deputies of his plans to increase Czech salaries to match their German neighbors within the next four years.
The pledge was met with derisory comments from opposition lawmakers, including ANO leader Andrej Babiš who described the promise as unrealistic, arguing that achieving such a goal would require unsustainable annual wage increases of 25 percent.
“The prime minister should relax and stop spouting nonsense,” he said, before ironically suggesting that the lower house investigate Fiala’s “mental state” and advising the Czech prime minister to take some rest.
Hitting back at critics skeptical of his plans, Fiala told Czech lawmakers, “Ladies and gentlemen, dear citizens, I’m not crazy, those who don’t believe in the Czech Republic are crazy.
“Let’s take the right steps, invest, change education, make the state more efficient, attract foreign investments with high added value, manage the transport infrastructure, let’s do what we know we can. It’s not rocket science,” he added.
