Main Features of the Public Employment Service in the Czech Republic

in 1991 when the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic commenced transition to a market economy. Labour offices, in addition to providing placement and related services, manage jobseeker retraining and subsidies for job creation, administer unemployment insurance benefits, and provide guidance for the employment of foreign labour in the Czech Republic and for Czech nationals working abroad. They monitor and enforce compliance of employers with employment legislation: in 2005 some responsibilities were transferred to the newly-created National Labour Inspectorate but labour offices remain responsible in the areas of undeclared work and the conclusion of employment contracts. In 2004 the administration of state social support benefits (i.e. mainly child allowances, parental allowances and housing benefits, some but not all of them being means-tested) was, except in Prague, transferred from municipalities to the local labour offices. The Employment Service Administration at national level is part of the organisational structure of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. At local level, it manages the 77 district labour offices: 14 of these, so-called “authorized” labour offices, act as an intermediary between the Ministry and the other district labour offices in their region. The 77 labour offices operate 167 detached workplaces (some of which only serve as first contact points for state social support benefits) and 8 branch offices in Prague.