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: 31.12.2023

	Employment of foreigners				Foreigners registered at labour offices		Foreigners holding valid trade licence
	total	females	Ukraine	Slovakia	total	females	total	females
Česko	942,328	380,308	320,042	240,297	823,945	342,613	118,383	37,695
Hlavní město Praha	300,168	127,755	89,462	83,531	249,905	110,165	50,263	17,590
Středočeský kraj	156,119	56,825	55,070	40,954	141,753	52,172	14,366	4653
Jihočeský kraj	34,503	13,529	14,565	6,048	31,289	12,555	3,214	974
Plzeňský kraj	85,125	35,413	34,739	17,065	78,571	33,386	6,554	2,027
Karlovarský kraj	24,744	11,832	8,501	3,148	19,654	9,922	5,090	1,910
Ústecký kraj	35,225	12,981	12,358	4,993	26,774	10,659	8,451	2,322
Liberecký kraj	27,947	12,880	12,515	4,172	25,061	12,106	2,886	774
Královéhradecký kraj	32,014	11,830	11,256	5,119	29,060	11,056	2,954	774
Pardubický kraj	32,583	12,240	14,870	6,233	29,628	11,513	2,955	727
Kraj Vysočina	22,506	8,512	10,308	4,060	20,644	8,009	1,862	503
Jihomoravský kraj	105,090	43,165	31,281	39,385	95,327	40,362	9,763	2,803
Olomoucký kraj	19,203	7,466	7,058	5,081	16,526	6,703	2,677	763
Zlínský kraj	21,770	8,590	7,982	8,193	19,530	7,976	2,240	614
Moravskoslezský kraj	45,331	17,290	10,077	12,315	40,223	16,029	5,108	1,261

Note: Since 2004 the following are also obliged to ask for a work permit: an associate, a statutory body or a member of a statutory body or another body of a business company or a member of a cooperative or a member of a statutory or another body of a cooperative, who fulfils ordinary tasks for the business company or the cooperative.
1) Data of MLSA for 2015–2017 are qualified estimates of the numbers of registrations of foreigners at labour offices.