Return of Ukrainians eases pressure on Czech labor market

To the amazement of Czech employers, Ukrainian workers are returning to the Czech Republic now that the coronavirus pandemic seems under control. The daily Lidove noviny writes that despite the gradual growth of unemployment in the country, many employers were finding it difficult to find Czechs who would take the place of the Ukrainians who left. At the beginning of the year, there were 152,000 in the Czech Republic, but thousands left at the beginning of the crisis. The best guess is that the total number in the country is now 143,000. Officially, there are 69,722 Ukrainians registered on a temporary basis, of which 47,053 listed work as their reason for coming and are spending more than three months in the country. "Despite the slight rise in unemployment, there are jobs that Czechs refuse to do," said Miroslav Benes. "That's a trend that spreading across Europe." Skoda Auto spokeswoman Kamila Biddle told Lidove noviny that the majority of the company's Ukranian employees had already returned to their jobs or were waiting for their Covid-19 test results.