The Czech Republic is becoming a popular work destination for many Filipinos working abroad (OFWs) for various reasons. A recent factor contributing to this trend is the approved increase in the minimum wage by the Czech government in the past few weeks. The interest of OFWs in working in the Czech Republic is primarily due to equal and ethical working conditions, attractive salaries, a variety of job opportunities, a good work-life balance, and the potential for family reunions. The Czech economy has been consistently growing and currently offers around 90,000 open positions.

Ondrej Puchinger – CzechTrade Philippines

The Czech government will raise the minimum wage by 1,600 crowns monthly to 22,400 crowns gross starting January 2026. This increase, calculated according to the Ministry of Finance’s new forecast, was confirmed to Czech Television by Labor Minister Marian Jurečka. The new minimum wage will exceed 43 percent of the average wage, marking the highest ratio in Czech history.

Street cleaners, clothing seamstresses, and porcelain factory workers are among those frequently earning minimum wage. Many of these workers currently struggle to make ends meet with the current gross monthly income of 20,800 crowns. According to the Ministry of Finance, approximately 118,000 people—over three percent of employees—currently receive minimum wage and will benefit from this nearly eight percent increase.

Last autumn, the government decided that next year’s minimum wage would reach 43.4 percent of the average wage, which the Ministry of Finance estimates will be nearly 51,500 crowns in 2026. Labor Minister Jurečka believes that the purchasing power of those with the lowest incomes has been increasing alongside wage growth over the past two years.

While parliamentary opposition welcomes the increase, they argue it should be more substantial. Last summer, the coalition passed legislation stipulating that the minimum wage should gradually rise to 47 percent of the average wage by 2029. SPD’s Lucie Šafránková criticizes the measure as insufficient, stating that her party’s proposal would have increased the minimum wage by 3,100 crowns.

Josef Středula, head of the largest trade union center, would support raising the minimum wage rapidly to half the average wage, arguing that the current minimum is “far below the living costs of a person living alone, and for those with families or single-parent households, these are extremely inadequate amounts”. Meanwhile, employer representatives consider the current automatic calculation for minimum wage growth a reasonable compromise.

Written by: CZDAILY