News & Events

Civil Servants: A Descriptive Study

The new IDEA publication titled "Civil Servants: How Many Are There, Where Do They Work, And How Much Are They Paid?" analyzes the Czech public sector.

The key findings can be summarized as follows: 

• The Czech public sector employs around 935 thousand people, nearly one fifth of the country’s workforce. Approximately 420 thousand of them have their salaries paid and regulated by the state.Only cabout 66 thousand of them can be considered civil servants.
• 29% of civil servants actually work at organizations run by ministries; the rest works at related organisations. Between 2008 and 2012 their pay decreased, both in absolute terms and relative to average salaries in national business.
• Figures used in budgeting differ greatly from reality, especially concerning entthe paym. Real salary levels in certain areas of the civil service are higher than the corresponding pay scales currently in force. In other words, some offices exercise significant freedom when it comes to remuneration.
• The available data from the state budget and accounts do not provide a distinctive picture regarding the logically defined sectors of the civil service. To achieve informed human resources management in the civil service, it would be necessary to collect and apply information richer in quality and detail. The process of establishing future state budgets must involve consideration not only of past budget figures, but also data corresponding to current conditions.