The EURES system was launched in 1993. It collects data on job vacancies throughout the European Union. If a labor exchange or employer cannot find a specialist in their own country, they post the information in EURES. And those who want to find work outside their home state can post their résumé. On the web pages of the European Employment System (http://www.europa.eu.int/eures/index.jsp) one can find not only information about open positions, but also about living and working conditions in any European country. This will help a job seeker decide where their work will be best paid.
Supply, however, far exceeds demand, meaning there are many more résumés than vacancies. For 60,000 job search announcements, there are about 15,000 open positions. This balance of forces is not accidental, as the overall unemployment rate in the EU is 17%. About 18 million working-age Europeans are unemployed. Moreover, EU countries do not actively use the system. If the Germans have posted 12,000 vacancies, then the British or French, for example, have posted about a dozen.
Starting May 1, all labor exchanges in the Czech Republic will begin posting announcements about seeking specialists on the EURES web page. A special department will be created that will offer job opportunities in other countries to the unemployed in the Czech Republic. However, according to Eurostat data, Czechs agree to work outside their home country only in very extreme cases, and when looking for an open position, they prefer, if possible, not to leave their region. On the other hand, Western employers are in no hurry to hire foreigners, and in 90% of cases they employ citizens of their own country.
Despite the fact that with accession to the European Union, Brussels places all its institutions and services at the full disposal of newcomers, it is too early for Czechs to rejoice. Apart from England and Ireland, all other EU countries do not want to employ residents of the ten new members of the Union. The so-called transition period, for example in Germany, where mainly Czechs seek to earn money, is set for five years.
However, Tomáš Špiroch, the head of the Czech Employment Services Administration, is more optimistic: “We hope that gradually the restrictions that most European Union countries have now introduced will disappear. Besides Ireland and the United Kingdom, Norway will also accept labor from the Czech Republic. Although this country is not a member of the European Community, the Norwegian authorities have maximally simplified the employment system for Czech citizens. In the future, Czechs will not need work permits in other member states either. And the EURES system will allow Czech professionals to realistically assess their strengths already today.”