Human health, veterinary activities and social work
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NACE 2002 - 85 Health and social work
The demographic projection for the Czech Republic envisages a gradual increase in the number of people older than 65. Moreover, the proportion of retirees in the total population will increase significantly, and it is expected to exceed 20%. This, along with the average age of the population constantly increasing, will place demands on a further growth in employment particularly in healthcare and social work. The overall increase between 2008 and 2020 is expected to be very high – from 339,900 people in 2008 to 403 thousand in 2020 (by 21%).
The following years will see a rising number of jobs in private healthcare facilities. At present the CR ranks at the low end of the European scale for this indicator.
The most sought-after occupations will be nurses, general practitioners as well as specialist doctors, dentists, physiotherapists and psychology-related occupations. There will also be a short-term increase in demand for specialists in gynaecology and midwifery. With a declining birth rate expected in the next couple of years this trend will be reversed.
The average age in this industry is only slightly higher than the average age in the economy as a whole. The number of graduates still exceeds the number of retiring workers. However, this trend is likely to be reversed as the absolute number of graduates of healthcare disciplines declines due to demographic development. Dental specialists, for example, will be affected by this trend. The healthcare sector will continue to tackle its major problem – i.e. the shortage of ancillary and lower skilled workers. Foreign workers will continue to be often the only choice for employers.
