AI-generated illustrative image · not a real photographThe Czech Republic needs more and more foreign workers
Background & Context
The Czech economy has become significantly more dependent on foreign workers in recent years. According to the Czech Statistical Office, the number of foreign employees classified as economically resident rose from around 253,000 in 2015 to just under 830,000 in 2025.
Employment of Ukrainian nationals grew particularly strongly: in 2025, they were the largest group of foreign workers, with roughly 307,000 employees. Current labor-market data also point to continued demand.
The Labour Office of the Czech Republic recorded more than 100,000 job vacancies at the end of July 2026, despite an unemployment rate of 5.0%. The government is therefore not only seeking to keep Ukrainians already in the country in long-term employment, but is also recruiting additional workers from the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, and other countries.
Labor migration should be distinguished from asylum policy. The Czech Republic pursues a comparatively restrictive approach to asylum and irregular migration while at the same time promoting targeted labor migration.
This is not a contradiction: The government is explicitly trying to steer immigration more closely in line with labor-market needs.
Article Profile
Dramatization
Low
3/10
The article covers the topic largely soberly, without dramatic exaggeration.
Moralizing
Moderate
4/10
Some passages carry evaluative or moral undertones.
Sharpening
Low
3/10
The article is nuanced and avoids confrontational sharpening.
Objectivity
High
8/10
The article is largely factual and fact-oriented.
Review Transparency
In addition to the DW report, we reviewed data from the Czech Statistical Office and the Czech Labour Office. The development is therefore officially documented independently of the reference article.
The number of foreign employees has risen sharply within a decade, while more than 100,000 job vacancies were recorded in July 2026. Different statistical measures must, however, be distinguished.
Around 1.13 million foreign nationals were registered as residents of the Czech Republic at the end of 2025. By contrast, the figure of just under 12% mentioned in the article refers to a macroeconomic definition of economically resident foreigners and should not simply be equated with the share of all foreign nationals in the population.
Restrictive asylum policy and the recruitment of foreign workers are also separate policy instruments. The Czech Republic can maintain a restrictive asylum policy while simultaneously expanding targeted labor migration.
Impact Check
Does it affect you?
60% impact
Czech companies and workers are affected, as the labor shortage is growing and adjustments are needed to meet demand.
Security risk?
10% impact
No direct security risk in Germany, since the impacts of the Czech labor market are primarily local.
Historic?
75% impact
The rise in foreign workers is not new, but reflects a longer-term trend reinforced by demographic change.
Why is this article's headline most likely true
The claim is true: The Czech Republic is not only employing a growing number of people from abroad; the government and businesses are explicitly seeking additional foreign workers. Official data show a strong long-term increase in foreign employment, while more than 100,000 job vacancies were reported at the end of July 2026.
Workers from Ukraine have become particularly important. However, the government is also seeking employees from other non-EU countries, including for industry, construction, logistics, healthcare, and elder care.
The headline therefore describes a real structural trend in the Czech labor market, not merely the exceptional immigration triggered by the war in Ukraine.
This analysis is based on a journalistic report by dw.com. The rating and context were produced with AI assistance.
AI Transparency
This analysis was produced, structured and editorially reviewed with AI-assisted systems. The rating refers to the specific statement examined and is based on the sources cited. The cover image is an AI-generated symbolic image and is not a documentary photograph of the event described.
Methodology & AI Transparency