Across companies throughout the Czech Republic, there are fewer and fewer people who are both capable and willing to work in operations, manufacturing, or technical professions.
And it’s not only retirements that are putting employers under pressure. Many younger people today simply have little interest in these positions – or they don’t stay in them for long.
The result is that companies are beginning to compete for every single worker, and the costs of maintaining teams are rising.
An Unforgiving Demographic Curve
The productive generations born in the 1970s and 1980s are gradually reaching retirement age.
Meanwhile, younger age groups are significantly smaller.
This trend is confirmed by official data from the Czech Statistical Office: in 2024, more than 21% of the Czech population was over 65 years old, and the average age was approaching 44 years.
Changing Values and Expectations
Younger people prefer flexible work, greater autonomy, meaningful roles, and less physical strain.
For many, manufacturing or operational jobs are no longer seen as attractive career paths.
Lower Willingness to Relocate for Work
Younger generations relocate far less often, which further deepens regional differences in workforce availability.
According to the Deloitte study: Workforce in a Changing Market (2024), traditional models are no longer effective – and companies need new approaches if they want to maintain operational capacity.
You can’t change the structure of your workforce in a single month.
But the good news is that solutions exist – companies just tend to underestimate them or postpone them for too long.
Experience, loyalty, and the ability to quickly navigate work processes – all of this older generations offer.
Yet many companies still reject these candidates purely because of age.
Ergonomic measures, part-time contracts, and support for healthy ageing are the key to sustainable productivity.
Ukraine, Moldova, India, the Philippines… these countries represent important workforce potential, but only when recruitment is properly managed.
Language support, adaptation, training, and legal certainty are essential.
Working with an agency that has experience helps minimise risks.
Not every worker proves to be the right fit immediately.
The Try & Hire model allows companies to “test” a candidate before making a long-term commitment – a mutually beneficial solution for both sides.
This often-overlooked group is looking for part-time or flexible jobs.
If a company can adapt its operations, it gains loyal and highly motivated employees for the long term.
Population ageing is not a problem that the state or time will solve.
It is a challenge that every company must address on its own – and the sooner, the better.
Because workforce availability is no longer something we can take for granted.
We believe in long-term cooperation.
We help companies break down their recruitment efforts into smaller, practical steps, focus on less visible target groups, explore effective combinations of work arrangements, and prepare teams for generational change – with an emphasis on sustainability, loyalty, and quality.
📩 Need our perspective?
Get in touch – we’ll be happy to prepare a tailored proposal based on your current and future needs.
