welcome to the land of full employment

He is undoubtedly the good student in the class. With between 3 and 4% unemployment, the Czech Republic has one of the most dynamic labor markets and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the European Union.

At the crossroads of many countries such as Germany, Poland and Austria, the Czech Republic enjoys a privileged position in Central Europe. Nicknamed “the city of a thousand towers and a thousand bell towers”Prague has a unique historical heritage.

It is not for nothing that it is one of the capitals most visited by foreign tourists. With its trendy bars and restaurants, it is very lively and the tram runs there day and night !

Present for 18 years in the Czech Republic, Jean-Charles Berger is the boss of the French bistro At table !in the historic center of Prague, where it serves 60 to 200 seats per day.

He testifies that the Czechs are very Francophiles : “I always get asked the question: why am I in the Czech Republic when France is such a beautiful country? The people are very cultured, they have a great knowledge of French history and culture. They remained quite close to France for various reasons.”

With one of the highest growth rates in Europe, the Czech Republic is hiring in many sectors such as education, finance, logistics, transport, construction and of course tourism. Jean-Charles Berger employs ten people, whom he sometimes has difficulty recruiting.

“It’s one of the things that really surprised me too, he remembers, compared to France, there is practically no unemployment. I am constantly looking for people to work with. In all sectors, everyone tells me: ‘we don’t have enough people to work!’ There are more and more young people, English, Germans, of all nationalities and not just Europeans, who are coming for their first job, particularly in Prague.”

Although the average gross salary may seem low when viewed from France, it is offset by a lower cost of living than in France. Here, working weeks last, on average, 38 to 40 hours. Office hours are typically between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. with a shortened lunch break to allow employees to enjoy their personal lives and families earlier in the evening. In 18 years, Jean-Charles Berger has seen the country change, particularly in recent years with the influx of foreigners. New stores sprouted like mushrooms.

“Prague is very modern, he assures, you can buy everything through your cell phone. The Czechs were the first to have all online banking services. Today, I can find everything you can buy in France, which was not at all the case ten years ago, so it has changed a lot.”

Present in large numbers in the Czech Republic, foreign companies and multinationals are recruiting. There are around 500 French companies in the country. Note that networking is very common for finding a job. In addition to French, it is particularly appreciated to speak English, German or Italian.

Go further

Find this column on the app, the website and in the international mobility magazine “Français à l’avenir.fr”