The Czech Labour Market and Its Structural Changes in the Period 1990-2006

This paper deals with the situation on the Czech labour market in the period 1990-2006. It shows the status and development of the supply and demand sides of this market. Great attention is paid to the long-term trends in employment, self-employment, unemployment, and long-term unemployment. The principal findings concern the dominance of the supply side of the labour market, especially the unfavourable decline in young labour force in the present difficult period, a special pattern of Czech self-employment development, a heavy tax burden on employees' income, and distortions of labour market caused by high labour costs (social and health insurance). Last but not least, the paper explores the labour market flexibility.