IFRAME: https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5VB5C9D Skip to main content European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist in the development of better social, employment and work-related policies Eurofound [íslenska (is)___________.] (Go) Go Search form Leit _______________ (Leit) Leit * Go to Eurofound Home * Skip to main menu Main menu * About us + o Who we are # Staff @ Directorate @ Information and Communication @ Information and Communication Technologies @ Organisational Support @ Research units @ Resources # Management Board @ Agendas and minutes # Stakeholders and partners o What we do # Annual reports # Work programmes # Financial information # EU priorities # Communications calendar o Procurement # Procurement opportunities # Express your interest # Call for external experts o Vacancies # Information on traineeships # Information for job applicants @ Grading and remuneration @ Rules of reimbursement * Publications + Browse all publications Latest publications [ef20027.png?itok=6NgbyTfm] New forms of employment: 2020 update [ef20028.png?itok=TapNL5Zs] Long-term care workforce: Employment and working conditions Forthcoming publication [ef20050_-_forthcoming_research_report_covid19.png?itok=iHfamQ C1] COVID-19: Some implications for employment and working life Series [minimumwage-card.jpg?itok=mACKQhlc] Minimum wages in the EU * Topics * Data and resources * Surveys + o About the Eurofound surveys # International collaboration # Methodology # Quality assurance # Data availability o European Company Surveys (ECS) # ECS 2019 @ Methodology - Sampling and weighting - Coding - Quality assurance and quality control @ Questionnaire - Language versions # ECS 2013 @ Sector sheets @ Methodology - Sampling - Weighting - Coding - Quality assurance and quality control @ Questionnaire - Translations # ECS 2009 @ Methodology @ Questionnaires # ECS 2004 @ Research reports o European Quality of Life Surveys (EQLS) # EQLS 2016 @ Research reports @ Methodology @ Questionnaire - Translations # EQLS 2012 @ Research reports @ Methodology - Sampling - Coding - Weighting - Quality assurance @ Questionnaire - Translations # EQLS 2007 @ Findings @ Research reports # EQLS 2003 @ Findings @ Analytical reports o European Working Conditions Surveys (EWCS) # EWCS 2021 # EWCS 2020 # EWCS 2015 @ Research reports @ Methodology - Sampling - Coding - Weighting - Quality assurance @ Questionnaire - Questionnaire development - Translation = Language versions # EWCS 2010 @ Research reports @ Methodology - Sampling - Coding - Weighting - Quality assurance @ Questionnaire - Development - Pre-test - Translations # EWCS 2005 @ Research reports @ Methodology @ Questionnaire - Translation * Countries + o Living and working profiles # Austria # Belgium # Bulgaria # Croatia # Cyprus # Czechia # Denmark # Estonia # Finland # France # Germany # Greece # Hungary # Ireland # Italy # Latvia # Lithuania # Luxembourg # Malta # Netherlands # Norway # Poland # Portugal # Romania # Slovakia # Slovenia # Spain # Sweden o Other countries * Observatories + o European Monitoring Centre on Change - EMCC # About EMCC # European Restructuring Monitor @ About the European Restructuring Monitor @ Restructuring events database - Restructuring statistics @ Restructuring support instruments @ Restructuring related legislation @ Restructuring case studies @ Restructuring in SMEs @ ERM publications # European Jobs Monitor @ Methodology # Labour market research # Comparative Information # Case studies @ The greening of industries in the EU # Future of Manufacturing in Europe (FOME) @ Projects @ Publications @ Events o European Observatory on Quality of Life - EurLIFE # About EurLIFE o European Observatory of Working Life - EurWORK # About EurWORK # Topical updates # Country updates # Representativeness studies # European Industrial Relations Dictionary # Working life country profiles # Case studies @ Attractive workplace for all @ Ageing workforce @ Workers with care responsibilities # Database of wages, working time and collective disputes * News * Events The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist in the development of better social, employment and work-related policies You are here * Forsíða * * Article * 2014 * Companies hiring foreign workers to fill skills gap Companies hiring foreign workers to fill skills gap Topic: Skills and training Employment status Employment and labour markets Published on: 04 maí 2014 Author: Lehmann, Štěpánka * English (en) A survey of Czech employers by the recruitment company ManpowerGroup found businesses were struggling to hire qualified staff, despite high unemployment. A fifth of companies had solved the problem by employing foreign workers. Businesses were most likely to take on foreign workers in manual positions, but they were also hired to fill top managerial roles. The majority of employers say they are not concerned about the movement of workers either into or out of the country. Employer survey A survey of employers in the Czech Republic has revealed that large numbers of foreign workers are being hired to fill skills gaps across the country. Demographic development, rapid technological change, new approaches to work and the globalisation of labour markets appear to have resulted in a lack of qualified workers for specific positions. The employer survey was conducted by ManpowerGroup, one of the leading employment and recruitment agencies in the Czech Republic. The survey focused on opinion and experiences from employers about the employment of foreign residents. It asked about the benefits of hiring workers from this segment of the labour force. Mismatch of job skills According to the survey, 35% of employers were unable to find appropriate employees for specific positions. This was in spite of the economic crisis and the consequent increase in unemployment. This finding would seem to imply that the qualification structure of the Czech workforce does not correspond to the needs of employers. It suggests the labour market is unable to provide employment for a relatively large group of unemployed workers because they do not have the required qualifications. At the same time it is unable to provide employees for specialised positions. The Manpower study suggests that the lack of human capital can, to a certain extent, be compensated for by the legal migration of workers. However, it notes that the administrative burden of employing foreign workers can be substantial, especially for non-EU residents and low-skilled occupations It says more than 300,000 foreigners currently work in the Czech Republic both as employees and as self-employed people. The survey data suggest that employers are particularly interested in taking on foreign IT specialists, mechanical engineers and specialised tradesmen, including welders, casters, locksmiths and lacquerers. They are also keen to find call centre operators who often need advanced foreign languages skills. Foreigners in manual professions Of the companies surveyed, 19% employed foreign residents. In the construction sector 31% of respondents reported having foreign employees. Companies in the electricity, gas and water supply sectors were least likely to employ foreign workers (5%). Labourers made up the largest group (27%) of foreign workers employed by the respondent companies, followed by craftsmen (9%). Senior managers are not widely represented among foreign workers (5%), but were present in 35% of the companies surveyed. More than five foreign managers were employed in 16% of the respondent companies. By nationality, the highest proportion of foreign workers were Slovak (39%), followed by Ukrainian (22%) and German (17%). Less than one third of foreign workers were non-EU citizens – from Ukraine, the USA and Russia. Slovak workers represent a significantly large group within the foreign working population because there are historic ties between the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and there is no language barrier. Since a considerable proportion of these workers have been educated in the Czech Republic, the range of professions in which they work does not differ considerably from that of the Czech population. However, other eastern European workers are more likely to do manual jobs regardless of their level of educational attainment. Little concern over worker mobility The majority of companies in the survey (77%) told researchers that the employment of foreigners did not involve any additional administrative costs. Only 6% of those surveyed had found it difficult to become familiar with the relevant legislation and visa requirements. The research showed 77% of employers said they felt neither the government nor other companies took effective measures to retain talented workers in the Czech labour market or to attract them from abroad. More than half (55%) said they did not fear an outflow of qualified workers from the Czech Republic. This compared with 34% who felt that an outflow of workers would have negative consequences for the Czech labour market. References Halbrštát, J. (2013), ‘Zahraniční pracovníci v České republice’ [Foreign workers in the Czech Republic], Práce a mzda [Jobs and Wages], Vol 61, No. 10, pp. 42–44. Štěpánka Lehmann, Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs (RILSA) Useful? 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