The gas industry will be subject to a close observation in the following years. The reason is that, along with the growing energy consumption in Europe as a whole and the expected decline in manufacturing capacity, the dependence on gas imports will increase. The CR has virtually no natural gas deposits and imports therefore cover some 99% of consumption. As regards gas distribution, the volume of consumption is not a decisive factor affecting the development of employment. The upcoming years are likely to see an overall decline in employment and a higher demand for highly skilled workers due to a growing level of automation and penetration of electronics into the industry. There will be a shortage of two occupational groups: technical specialists with upper secondary and, most importantly, tertiary qualifications, and sales and customer service workers (as competition will stiffen and require enhanced customer care).

The Czech Republic is highly likely to continue building gas storage facilities, which is the only way of reducing the risk of interrupted supplies of this strategic raw material in the future. There will be an increase in the use of gas in transport (CNG). In the next couple of years investments are expected in the building of CNG fuel stations of which there were not even 20 in the CR at the beginning of 2009. This market has a 50-80% annual growth potential. In spite of the problems related to Russian supplies in January 2009, natural gas is likely to be used for electricity generation and district heating in the upcoming years, since a shortage of the fuel used currently (coal) is expected.

The anticipated trends in the gas industry will strengthen demand for specialists in the construction and operation of technologies using natural gas, although many of them will find jobs in other sectors (manufacture of metal structures, mechanical engineering, power generation). The existing technological facilities and systems for gas distribution were built in the past decades and the generations of engineers and technicians that launched them will be retiring. The proportion of workers older than 60 (8%) in this industry is among the highest in the Czech economy. In view of new investment in the gas sector a far larger number of graduates of technical disciplines (chemistry, mechanical engineering, energy generation, automation technologies) will be required.