Although unemployment benefits are a frequent topic of public debate, according to the findings of STEM, more than half of the respondents (52 percent) do not receive any form of social support.
People who have been at the Labor Office (ÚP) for nine to twelve months took part in the survey, only 18 percent of them receive unemployment benefits, and they are mostly people over 50 years old.
The majority do not receive support because they are not entitled to it. People between the ages of 50 and 55 can receive support for a maximum of eight months, those over 55 for eleven months. However, a person loses his right even if he was dismissed due to a gross violation of the work order.
Six percent of respondents admit to working “on the black”, more often men than women.
Internet access is also a problem
According to STEM, the survey results indicate that unemployment is not the result of convenience. With the increasing number of registrations at the labor office, respondents’ satisfaction with life decreases significantly.
The data also show that the unemployed feel that they are not welcome on the labor market. “Many people do not understand job advertisements because they are written in formal language. They are often not sure if they can apply for a given position at all, and even if they do, they have difficulty formulating an answer,” Kateřina Dosoudilová, head of social services at People in Need, told Novinka.
When looking for support or advice, people most often turn to family members (62 percent). A fifth of the respondents do not have anyone they could ask for help, and only four percent would use help from outside the family, for example a social worker or a non-profit organization.
According to Dosoudilová, the fact that people often do not have access to a computer and the Internet is also a problem. “We help them, for example, with setting up an e-mail address, writing a resume or a motivational letter,” said Dosoudilová.
More responses to advertisements does not mean success
At the same time, the correct procedure directly affects the success of the job search. STEM research, for example, found that it is not the case that the more resumes an applicant sends out, the more employers will respond.
“It turned out that the intensity of sending CVs is not directly proportional to the success in the form of an invitation to an interview,” described STEM analyst Kateřina Broža. The results indicate that a person who responds to fewer advertisements pays more attention to the selection of offers and his selection is targeted, which increases the chance of being invited to an interview.
Interpersonal relationships and working hours are the most important for the unemployed when looking for work. The distance from home also plays a significant role, for people with a low income, commuting is a major expense. The amount of earnings is only fourth in importance.
In addition to age or health, job applicants can also be put at a disadvantage by their family situation, according to Dosoudilova, single mothers in particular have a problem. “Age plays a role especially in manual professions, physical performance decreases with age and health problems increase,” she added.
In a survey by the STEM agency this June, 2,833 residents of the Czech Republic between the ages of 15 and 65 who had been registered with the Labor Office for a period of nine to twelve months answered an online questionnaire.
