Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has signalled a move to scale back unemployment benefits, calling the current system illogical and arguing it incentivises staying out of work. The push comes despite his own ANO movement having unanimously backed labour-code amendments last year that increased the payouts.
Under rules that took effect this year, jobless Czechs receive 80 percent of their previous net earnings for the first two to three months, capped at roughly 38,500 crowns. The average payout reached a record 17,213 crowns in June, up nearly 5,000 crowns from late 2025. National unemployment stood at 4.8 percent that month.
Sociologist Daniel Prokop noted that while the number of jobless rose by 41,000 year-on-year, benefit claimants grew by only 14,000, with roughly 96,000 of 356,000 unemployed people drawing support. Former Labour Minister Marian Jurečka warned that cutting benefits would hurt ANO's own voter base.