Manpower Survey: Czech Employers Plan More Hiring Than Layoffs in Q4 2025

Employers in the Czech Republic expect to hire more staff than they plan to dismiss in the final quarter of the year, according to the latest labour market survey by ManpowerGroup. The survey, which gathered responses from 525 private- and public-sector employers, suggests that recruitment activity will remain relatively strong compared with previous years.

The survey shows that 30 percent of companies plan to recruit new employees in the fourth quarter, while 16 percent expect layoffs. The resulting net employment outlook is 14 percentage points, down from 16 points in the third quarter. Despite the decline, the seasonal slowdown is less pronounced than usual. “The last quarter tends to be the weakest period in terms of recruitment, but this year we are seeing a smaller seasonal decline than usual,” said Jaroslava Rezlerová, CEO of ManpowerGroup Czech Republic. She noted that the outlook for the fourth quarter is the strongest since 2008. A year earlier, the index stood at 10 percent.

Regional patterns are largely balanced. In Prague and across the Czech Republic, the net employment outlook stands at 14 percent, while in Moravia it is 13 percent. Compared with the previous quarter, optimism has weakened in Prague and the rest of the country but strengthened in Moravia. Rezlerová described the balance between regions as unusual, as Prague typically shows greater optimism than Moravia.

By sector, the most positive hiring plans are in energy, where the outlook reaches 41 percent. Health and social care follow with 32 percent. At the other end of the spectrum, public and non-profit organisations and the transport sector report a modest 2 percent outlook. Industry employers, facing weak foreign demand, reported 7 percent, while information technology recorded 15 percent. According to Rezlerová, optimism in IT is tempered by the fact that some positions are being replaced by artificial intelligence tools.

Globally, the net labour market index is 23 percent. The Czech Republic is positioned in the lower quarter of the international ranking, with employer optimism comparable to Austria and Finland.