Warehouse and logistics companies hunt for part-time Christmas workers amid coronavirus shortage

Companies are finding it more difficult to find workers in manual labor positions for the busy Christmas period due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new ČTK survey.

Warehouse workers and drivers are in short supply with foreign workers unable or unwilling to travel into the country and some current staff quarantining.

It is thought that workers from other industries such as restaurant workers could be employed on a part-time basis.

The South Moravian and Plzeň regions are particular areas with jobs available, while Malo believes there are also roles in the Olomouc and Liberec regions. 

He added: "We have seen a shortage of foreign workers, who have traditionally made up a large part of the seasonal workforce. Their lack is most felt in Liberec, where companies usually used part-time workers from Poland."

Students are amongst those applying for the roles while local applications are also increasing.

According to ManpowerGroup director Jiří Halbrštát, the situation before Christmas for part-time workers is a big question mark. 

With shops closed, it’s expected that online shopping and workers in logistics roles supporting that industry will be particularly busy over the holiday period.

The hourly wage of part-time workers in the Ostrava, Liberec, Brno and Plzeň regions has increased slightly year-on-year for part-time workers, according to Malo, a part-time worker in the Olomouc region earning around CZK 120 per hour, in the Brno or Ostrava region CZK 130, and in some regions they can get as much as CZK 140 with overtime.

Olga Švarcová, head of temporary employment at Hays, believes that they won’t need a large increase in staff over the holidays unless things start to re-open.