Among the fiercest opponents of immediately opening the labor market to new EU countries are Germany and Austria. On the contrary, immediately after the enlargement of the European Union on May 1, 2004, citizens of the new member states, including Czechs, got the opportunity to work in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Sweden. Since May 1 of this year, this list was joined by Portugal, Spain, Greece, Finland, and Iceland. France also made a step forward, opening its labor market partially, that is, considering those sectors where it sees a shortage of labor – for example, in construction, the hotel industry, agriculture, food production, and mechanical engineering.
In July of this year, Czechs also gained freer access to the labor market of the Kingdom of Denmark. Work can be offered by employers who obtain permission to employ citizens of the new EU countries. Students will also be in a more advantageous position, as they will be able to work during their studies in Denmark under the same conditions as their counterparts from other EU countries. This means that the need to request a special permit will no longer be necessary.
What are the chances for Czech citizens to find work in Denmark? Manager of the information agency for employment abroad Tomas Kadlec answered this question: 'It all depends on the time of year and the specialist's qualifications. There is a general rule that it is easier to get a job for a long-term period. Nevertheless, some manage to find a permanent position after signing a short-term contract. Again, the higher the qualification, the greater the chance of finding a job. As for blue-collar professions, here the probability is 50:50.'
Tomas Kadlec believes that Czechs will likely be interested in finding work in Denmark, but this demand will not exceed the existing demand for English-speaking countries in Europe: 'Denmark's decision is very important and will certainly lead to an increase in demand for employment in this country. Nevertheless, it cannot compare with the United Kingdom or Ireland. First, Denmark opened its labor market only partially, and second, there are the following drawbacks: a different language than English is used, and very high social security contributions are established.'
According to a comparison conducted two years ago, the highest salaries within the European Union were in Denmark (about €3,500), followed by Luxembourg and Germany. The average level of European salaries is considered to be in the Netherlands (?2,300 per month), Finland, and Austria. In Spain, Greece, and Portugal, salaries are lower and amounted to about €1,300. Nevertheless, these figures themselves are only indicative, since it is necessary to take into account the level of taxation and social insurance, which vary from country to country.
When looking for work abroad, including in Denmark, Czech citizens can use the free services of the EURES network, whose task is to provide information to those interested in working in EU countries. They can also contact labor exchanges in the Czech Republic, which also have information on vacancies in European Union countries and Switzerland.