The population of the CR is both decreasing and ageing. A number of experts are currently attempting to estimate the deficit of labour in the medium term. Only a synergy of high fertility, low mortality and high immigration is able to stabilize the number of inhabitants in the CR. The pessimistic prognosis forecasts a serious decrease in population as early as 2010, which could reach between 1 and 2 million in 2050. The CR should urgently attempt to solve not only problems of demographic development but also those of employment and the labour market deficit. Employment in the CR is currently falling and the number of economically inactive people in the population is increasing at the same time as registered unemployment and problems with the grey economy. Solving all these problems should be given high priority. The question is which policies should be implemented today, taking into account the CR’s accession to the EU?
Accession Treaties of the new member states to the EU in the area of free movement of labour force have enabled to all 15 “old” member states to apply against them a transition period (2 to 7 years) and to introduce so called national regimes for labour markets (work permits and quotas). Optimistic attitudes of some old member states from the period of accession negotiations (GB, Ireland, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden) that they would not apply this period is currently changing under domestic pressures due to high political sensitivity of this matter. The same holds true for the CR, and possible reciprocal measures cannot be excluded.
Increased labour migration to the CR is expected from fellow accession countries, e.g. Slovakia and Poland, however third countries will remain a significant source of labour migration, especially Ukraine and Vietnam. Labour migration contributes significantly to the CR economy. The proportion of foreigners in the labour force currently exceeds 3 %.