Czech Labor Market is Depressed

The Czech Republic’s economy is depressed, not because of a lack of jobs, but because people are afraid to change. To grow, we need to embrace job mobility and adapt to new opportunities.

The Czech Republic has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the EU. You'd think that would be a good thing. In most countries, low unemployment signals economic health. But not here. In the Czech Republic, it’s not a sign of progress; it’s a sign of something deeper — our labor market is *depressed*. We haven’t bounced back to pre-COVID economic output because people aren’t adapting to change — they’re *depressed* in their current roles, stuck in jobs they no longer fit into. And that’s not just a failure of the labor market. It’s a failure of mindset.

In today's world, having a job isn't enough. You need to be in the right job, doing something that contributes to both your growth and the growth of the economy. In most of the EU, people switch jobs when the industry shifts or when they realize they’re in a role that no longer makes sense. But in the Czech Republic, people aren’t moving. They’re staying in jobs that don’t challenge them or use their talents. The problem isn’t the economy. The problem is how people think about their work, their lives, and their ability to adapt. In Jim Carrey’s words, people need a “deep rest” from their current roles to rediscover their potential.

The Post-COVID Problem Isn't Jobs, It's a Depressed Workforce

After COVID, many countries rebounded. Their economies were flexible enough to shift workers from industries that were dying to those that were growing. This is a natural response to crisis: adapt or fall behind. In the Czech Republic, we’re falling behind because people aren’t moving into those new roles. They’re staying in their old jobs, even if those jobs no longer make sense.

It’s not because there aren’t opportunities. There are. The government even supports job workshops, designed to help people upskill or change careers. But people aren’t taking them seriously. They’re going through the motions, but they’re not changing jobs. They’re not adapting. They’re simply clinging to whatever role they already have because the idea of leaving feels overwhelming — like they need a "deep rest" from the demands of change.

Job mobility in the Czech Republic is among the lowest in the EU. You can see it in the Eurostat data. It’s not that we don’t have opportunities; it’s that people are too *depressed* in their current situations to pursue them. The labor market here isn’t just stuck; it’s emotionally and mentally exhausted. We need that “deep rest” Jim Carrey talks about — not just to step away, but to reimagine what work could be for us as individuals and for the economy.

The Communist Legacy: Enduring vs. Adapting

This depression didn’t come from nowhere. It’s rooted in a long history of centralized economic planning. Under communism, there were vwey limited options in terms possibilities of job placement. Stability was valued over ambition. You didn’t switch jobs to find something better. You stayed put because moving wasn’t an option. In a centrally-planned economy, adaptation wasn’t necessary — you just endured whatever was handed to you.

Even though we’ve shifted to a market economy, that mindset hasn’t fully changed. People still see job stability as more valuable than job growth. The idea of switching careers, or even industries, feels risky and unsettling. After decades of being told to stay put, many people feel drained by the idea of moving. They need to be taught that *taking a deep rest* — from the roles and routines that don’t fit them anymore — is the first step to renewal.

In today's global economy, that’s not just a problem for individuals. It’s a problem for the entire country. We haven’t returned to pre-COVID economic levels because the workforce is still too tired to adapt to the new industries and opportunities that are shaping the world. Other countries have workers who are willing to take risks, to reskill, to move into new fields. But in the Czech Republic, people are holding on to outdated roles, afraid to take the mental break needed to rethink their futures.

Why Change is Essential for Recovery

Here’s the thing: change isn’t something to fear. It’s the only way forward. In most economies, job mobility is a sign of growth. People leave jobs when they’ve outgrown them or when the job no longer contributes to the economy. That’s healthy. People move between industries as new opportunities arise. That’s how economies grow.

But in the Czech Republic, people are holding onto jobs that no longer serve them or the economy. This isn’t a problem of laziness or lack of ambition. It’s a problem of burnout and fear. People are afraid to change jobs because they see it as a failure or a risk. They need to understand that taking a "deep rest" — stepping away from a role that no longer fits — is not giving up. It’s a necessary step to finding something better.

When you refuse to change, you’re refusing to grow. When you don’t move, the economy doesn’t move. It’s that simple. You can’t have economic growth without people who are willing to adapt. But in the Czech Republic, people are still thinking like it’s 1985 — like the only way to survive is to hold onto whatever job you have, no matter how drained or disillusioned you feel in that role.

Workshops Won't Work Without a Mindset Shift

The government offers workshops to help people reskill, to encourage job mobility. These workshops are supposed to be the solution, the key to getting people into new industries, into roles that better suit their talents. But they’re not enough. Why? Because you can’t fix a *depressed* mindset with a skills program.

People don’t need more workshops on how to change jobs. They need workshops on why to change jobs. The skills gap isn’t the issue; it’s the mental and emotional gap. The fear of failure, the reluctance to leave something familiar, the feeling of exhaustion after years of staying put — those are the real problems. Until people understand that taking a "deep rest" from their current situation is healthy, no amount of workshops will help.

The Future Depends on Letting Go

If we want the Czech economy to thrive, we need to change the way we think about work. It’s not enough to have a job. We need to be in the right jobs. We need to be willing to take a break, reflect, and move on when the time is right. The government can’t fix that for us. It can offer workshops and programs, but at the end of the day, the real change has to come from within. People need to learn that change isn’t a threat — it’s an opportunity for growth.

In a post-COVID world, the countries that adapt the fastest will be the ones that succeed. The Czech Republic has all the tools it needs — the lowest unemployment in the EU, government support for upskilling, plenty of opportunities abroad. But none of that will matter if we don’t take a "deep rest" to rediscover our potential. If we don’t learn to embrace change, we’ll be left behind.

It’s time to let go and move forward.