Foreign Labour Is Becoming Structural, Not Temporary
Foreign employees are no longer a marginal part of the Czech labour market. According to a recent Czech National Bank analysis, Czech employers had around 323,000 foreign employees ten years ago, equal to an indicative 8% of all employees. By the end of 2025, that figure had risen to approximately 935,000, or around 22%. The number has almost tripled in a decade, showing how strongly Czech businesses now rely on international labour.
Where Foreign Workers Matter Most
The dependence is especially visible in labour-intensive sectors. At the end of 2025, manufacturing employed about 218,400 foreign workers, followed by construction with 81,600, transport and storage with 68,700, and accommodation and food services with 67,200. In hospitality, foreign workers represented an estimated 51.3% of employees, while the share in construction reached 36%. International recruitment is therefore important to the everyday operation of major parts of the Czech economy.
The Workforce Is Becoming More Diverse
The composition of foreign employment is also changing. Ukrainians became the largest group of foreign employees, reaching around 358,000 at the end of 2025, while Slovak employees numbered almost 230,000. The Czech National Bank also highlights rapid growth in workers from countries such as the Philippines, India and Kazakhstan. By contrast, employment from some traditional EU source countries, including Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, has stagnated or declined from earlier peaks.
What Businesses Should Take From the Trend
For employers, the message is increasingly strategic. Access to foreign labour can affect recruitment capacity, business expansion and operational continuity, particularly in sectors where international employees already represent a significant share of the workforce.
Companies employing or planning to recruit foreign nationals should therefore consider international hiring as part of long-term workforce planning, rather than simply a temporary response to labour shortages.
As foreign employment becomes larger and more geographically diverse, the ability to attract and retain international workers will become increasingly relevant to business planning. Foreign labour has become a structural feature of the Czech economy. For many Czech businesses, understanding this shift is now part of planning for future growth.
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Link: Czech National Bank – Foreign Employees in the Czech Labour Market
