Czechia employers still struggling to fill skilled positions despite growing applicant numbers

Although the winter season saw a modest increase in unemployment, companies in the Czech Republic continue to face a persistent shortage of qualified workers. This ongoing challenge was highlighted by Tomáš Ervín Dombrovský, an analyst at Alma Career, which operates several employment portals including Jobs.cz and Prace.cz.

According to Alma Career’s latest data and a recent employer survey, the demand for labour remains steady across the country, and in some sectors, it is consistently high. In the first quarter of 2025, a total of 113,398 job advertisements were posted on the company’s job portals, reflecting a slight year-on-year decline of 5.4 percent.

Recruitment activity remains widespread, with four out of five companies with more than ten employees planning at least partial recruitment this year, mainly to replace departing staff. Around a third of employers expect to hire actively throughout the year, while 17 percent are considering or implementing slight reductions in staff numbers, typically up to five percent.

The number of job applicants is also growing. In the first quarter of 2025, approximately 345,000 individuals submitted at least one application—an increase of more than 10 percent compared to the same period last year. Across all Alma Career platforms, total responses to job postings rose by 9.2 percent year-on-year.

Despite this increase in interest, Dombrovský notes that the job market is not fully balanced. Although the supply of candidates is growing, many do not meet the specific qualifications or geographic requirements of employers. The disconnect is most noticeable in technical roles, healthcare, and specialised services.

Employers continue to struggle to fill certain roles. Jobs in engineering, healthcare, and construction often receive few applications. For example, ads for nurses receive only about four responses on average, while job postings for designers, development engineers, and construction managers attract even fewer.

In contrast, general or lower-skilled roles continue to see high levels of interest. Receptionist positions receive an average of 45 responses, waiter and waitress roles 32, and administrative support and invoicing positions around 30. Employers are generally more open to hiring school graduates for these roles, even those without prior work experience.

Alma Career, active in the Czech Republic under brands such as Jobs.cz, Práce.cz, Platy.cz, Atmoscope.cz, and the mobile app Working Around the Corner, continues to track labour market developments and trends across the country.

Source: CTK