Unemployment structure in the Visegrad Group countries in 2009-2023

Abstract

PURPOSE: The aim of the article is to analyse the unemployment level and its interdependencies in the Visegrad Group countries in the years 2009–2023.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The research used Eurostat data on unemployment in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. To achieve the research objective, statistical indicators and verification of statistical hypotheses were used.

FINDINGS: There are differences in the percentage distribution of the number of unemployed people in the years 2009-2023 in the individual Visegrad Group (V4) countries, both for the entire unemployed population and for women and men. The number of unemployed women and men in the individual V4 countries does not differ significantly. There is a very strong positive correlation between the number of unemployed women and men in the V4 countries.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Indicating differences and similarities in the structure of unemployment between the V4 countries is important due to their similar geographical location and the same date of accession to the EU structures. Studies indicate that despite similarities, the structure of unemployment in the given countries in the period under review is diverse.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The article makes a significant contribution to the development of knowledge on the differences and relationships between the unemployment structure of the Visegrad Group countries in recent years, i.e. the period after their accession to the EU structures. The statistical methods used for the analysis indicate that it is possible to assess the scale of unemployment in individual countries comparatively.