The number of job seekers rose to 258,173, some 12,624 more than the previous month, whilst the number of job vacancies decreased by 1,692 to 343,148.

Office head Viktor Najmon said the slight increase in December was due to seasonal factors, with temporary contracts expiring at year's end, the Czech Radio reported.

Meanwhile, the new government wants to create better conditions for foreigners on the domestic labor market in the coming months.

The aim is to support local companies in areas in which there is a shortage of workers. In December of 2020, the unemployment rate was 4.0%.