Economic activity (status) of foreigners

Foreigners play quite an important role on the Czech labour market, especially in some economic branches. According to the evidence of the ministries of Labour and Social Affairs and Industry and Trade, a total of 904,983 foreign nationals worked (both foreign employees and self-employed foreigners) in the Czech Republic in 2022. The foreigners thus shared with 18.2% on the total employment in the national economy of the Czech Republic. While the number of foreign employees (793,290) in 2022 indicates a considerable annual increase, by 13% (i.e. by 91,460), the numbers of foreign entrepreneurs (111,693) rose less significantly (by 9.1%) between 2021 - 2022.

Economic activity of foreigners by region

Period: 31.12.2024

	Labour law relations of foreigners with the status of employees¹⁾			Foreigners holding valid trade licence
		total	male	female	total	male	female
Czechia	845,468	482,447	363,021	131,738	90,370	41,368
Hlavní město Praha	269,738	144,898	124,840	56,488	37,048	19,440
Středočeský kraj	141,634	87,836	53,798	16,216	11,071	5,145
Jihočeský kraj	30,343	17,735	12,608	3,467	2,444	1,023
Plzeňský kraj	79,625	45,822	33,803	7,048	4,853	2,195
Karlovarský kraj	19,189	9,262	9,927	5,396	3,407	1,989
Ústecký kraj	26,214	15,203	11,011	8,793	6,382	2,411
Liberecký kraj	25,454	13,221	12,233	3,216	2,354	862
Královéhradecký kraj	28,595	17,547	11,048	3,378	2,540	838
Pardubický kraj	29,602	18,037	11,565	3,495	2,623	872
Kraj Vysočina	20,752	12,516	8,236	2,206	1,634	572
Jihomoravský kraj	98,041	55,640	42,401	11,254	8,106	3,148
Olomoucký kraj	17,766	10,240	7,526	2,850	2,023	827
Zlínský kraj	18,472	10,645	7,827	2,375	1,724	651
Moravskoslezský kraj	40,043	23,845	16,198	5,556	4,161	1,395

1) Data of MLSA are valid as at 31 December 2024 and are qualified estimates of the numbers of labour law relations of foreigners with the status of employees.