Changes in Regional Unemployment Rates in the Czech Republic during Economic Cycle

Abstract

The Czech economy has been hit by the economic recession in recent years. Relatively strong economic growth and then economic downturn also had a significant impact on the labour market. The development of the unemployment rates – total, for women and men, however, showed significant differences between regions and districts of the Czech Republic. The article examines whether the differences in the unemployment rates in the regions and districts of the Czech Republic deepened or not during the economic crisis. The widening gap between regions can be a sign of decreasing flexibility of the Czech labour market. The article first briefly describes the recent economic development of the Czech economy. The end of the article is devoted to the comparison of the unemployment rate in the Czech Republic with other Member States of the European Union.