Optimism prevails in the labour market but manufacturing is starting to put the brakes on hiring
Prague, 14 December 2021 – Hiring managers in the Czech Republic expecting an improved hiring climate in the first quarter of 2022, with a +14-percentage point Net Employment Outlook (NEO). Job seekers in the Czech Republic can plan for the NEO to improve by 3-percentage points since the previous quarter. They also expect it to grow by 14 points since last year.
“Despite the next wave of the pandemic and its unclear end, optimism continues to prevail in the labour market. More companies plan to hire than to lay off, but the gap in expectations is widening. The pandemic has fundamentally changed both the market environment and the way we work, recruit and manage employees. Employers in the banking, finance, insurance and real estate sectors are planning to hire the most. Then in the IT, telecommunications and media sectors, along with the wholesale and retail sector. However, the most important sector in terms of employment – manufacturing – has sharply revised its expectations to mild pessimism,” said Jaroslava Rezlerová, Managing Director of ManpowerGroup Czech Republic.
Industry sector comparisons
For 9 of 11 Czech sectors, hiring pace gains are planned by hiring managers for January to March 2022 and decreases in the remaining 2 sectors. Workers in the Czech Republic can plan for the NEO to improve for 4 of 7* sectors since the fourth quarter of 2021 and decline in 3. Czech workers can look ahead to the NEO improving for 5 of 7* sectors over last year, but to fall for 2.
With a NEO of 50, hiring managers in the Banking, Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate sector expect the strongest hiring market. Since three months earlier, job seekers in this sector can expect the NEO to improve by 44-percentage points and grow by 49 points since last year. With a NEO of -2, hiring managers in Manufacturing expect a poor hiring environment, falling by 24 points and 5 points quarter-on-quarter, and Year-on-year, respectively.
Regional comparisons
Job market increases are forecast for all Czech regions from January to March 2022. The staffing environment is predicted to improve for 2 of 3 regions since the fourth quarter of 2021 and decline for 1 region. Similarly, the staffing environment is forecast to grow for 2 of 3 regions since last year and drop in the remaining region.
The strongest region is Prague, with hiring decision makers reporting a NEO of 23. This region expects the NEO to rise by 6-percentage points over Q4 2021 and to grow 25 points over twelve months ago. Employers predict a NEO of 5 in Bohemia from January to March 2022, making it the region with the least competitive hiring environment. Since the previous quarter, workers in this region, the NEO has worsened by -2 points, and since last year, the NEO has declined by -1 point.
Organization Size Comparisons
Hiring pace improvements are predicted by all Czech organization sizes for Q1 2022. The staffing climate is predicted to grow for 3 of 4 organization sizes since the fourth quarter of 2021. Since the previous quarter, job seekers in the Czech Republic can expect the NEO to decline for 1 of 4 organization sizes. Employers look ahead to the NEO growing for all organization sizes over the first quarter of 2021.
First among the strongest organizations are those with 50-249 employees with hiring decision makers reporting a NEO of 18. Since Q4 2021, these organization’s workers can expect the NEO to improve by 7-percentage points and are planned to improve 19 points over Q1 2021. Organizations with 250+ employees are also the most competitive. Organizations also expect an Outlook of 18, but that is a drop of -3 points quarter-on-quarter, although a rise by 7 points since last year.
For the next quarter, organizations with ’10-49 employees are the worst performing, reporting a NEO of 10. Hiring managers in these organizations expect the NEO to improve by 1-percentage point over the last quarter. Organizations look ahead to the outlook improving by 13 points since twelve months ago.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related measures
Non-infectiveness of employees
A full 26% employers plan to emphasize the benefits of employee vaccinations but will not make it mandatory. At the same time, 24% employers say they will require proof of full vaccination for some professions. Vaccination for all positions will be required by 20% of employers. 15% of employers plan to check the document and booster vaccinations, while the same number will not require any control and will leave the decision to individuals. Eleven percent plan to positively motivate their employees to get vaccinated, for example, in the form of financial bonuses.
Home office
In the IT sector, the largest number of employers (23%) plan for their employees to work fully from home, while the smallest share of this form of work is reported by the production sector (fully 10%, three or more days a week 19%, max. two days a week 16%). At the same time, almost half of employees (48%) in the production sector will be fully present in the workplace, followed by direct sales, front office or customer contact (36%). By comparison, only 18% in IT and 24% in finance and accounting will be fully present in their workplace.
Global Overview
ManpowerGroup surveyed a total of 39,681 employers in 40 countries and territories to measure employer hiring intentions for the first quarter of 2022. Interviewing was carried out during the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey findings for the January to March 2022 period are likely to reflect the impact of the ongoing economic disruption in some countries. Based on seasonally adjusted analysis, employers in all 40 countries and territories surveyed expect to grow payrolls in the upcoming quarter. The strongest hiring plans for the next three months are reported in Brazil, Peru, India, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The weakest hiring sentiment is reported in Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, and the Czech Republic. Hiring sentiment strengthens in 36 of the 40 countries and territories compared to the previous quarter while weakening in 4, including the US, Japan, Taiwan, and France.
In a year-over-year comparison, Outlooks improve in 38 countries and territories but weaken in 2 (Singapore and Taiwan).
The next ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey featuring the forecast for the 1Q 2022 period will be published on 8 March 2022.
About the Survey
The global leader in innovative workforce solutions, ManpowerGroup releases the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey quarterly to measure employers’ intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter. It is the longest running, most extensive, forward-looking employment survey in the world, polling over 59,000 employers in 44 countries and territories. The survey serves as a bellwether of labor market trends and activities and is regularly used to inform the Bank of England’s Inflation Reports, as well as a regular data source for the European Commission, informing its EU Employment Situation and Social Outlook report the Monthly Monitor. ManpowerGroup’s independent survey data is also sourced by financial analysts and economists around the world to help determine where labor markets are headed.
About ManpowerGroup
ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for hundreds of thousands of organizations every year, providing them with skilled talent while finding meaningful, sustainable employment for millions of people across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands – Manpower®, Experis®, Right Management® and ManpowerGroup® Solutions – creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across 80 countries and territories and has done so for 70 years. In 2019, ManpowerGroup was named one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies for the seventeenth year and one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the ninth year in 2018, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup is powering the future of work: www.manpowergroup.com.
More information available on www.manpowergroup.cz
