EVSBPPPZ Labour Market and Employment Policy

School of Business Administration in Karvina
Winter 2026
Extent and Intensity
2/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Ing. Milena Botlíková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Ing. Petra Chmielová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
prof. Mgr. Ing. Michal Tvrdoň, Ph.D.
Departament of Economics and Public Administration – School of Business Administration in Karvina
Contact Person: Dr. Ing. Ingrid Majerová
Timetable
Tue 15:35–17:10 A501
  • Timetable of Seminar Groups:
EVSBPPPZ/01: Tue 12:15–13:00 B206, P. Chmielová
EVSBPPPZ/02: Tue 13:05–13:50 B206, P. Chmielová
Prerequisites (in Czech)
FAKULTA(OPF) && TYP_STUDIA(B) && FORMA(P) && (ROCNIK(2) || ROCNIK(3))
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 15 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 23/15, only registered: 2/15
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives

The course ‘Labour Market and Employment Policy’ introduces students to the functioning of the labour market from both microeconomic and macroeconomic perspectives, and to the role of public policies in influencing employment. It focuses on labour supply and demand, investment in human capital, wage formation and the causes of wage differentials, including discrimination in the labour market. Attention is given to unemployment, its causes, consequences and potential solutions through active and passive employment policies. The course also includes an analysis of the role of trade unions, monopsony and international labour migration. A significant part of the course reflects current trends, in particular the impacts of digitalisation, automation, robotisation, artificial intelligence, the green transition and new forms of work on employment and the functioning of the labour market. Emphasis is placed on linking economic theory with current labour market challenges in the Czech Republic and the European Union.





Learning outcomes
The student will be able to analyze the microeconomic context of the labor market under conditions of perfect competition, analyze the individual's labor supply, including the influence of the substitution and income effects, analyze the concept of human capital, will be able to explain the essence of the theory of investment in human capital, will be able to analyze the mechanisms by which wages are formed in companies and identify factors affecting differences in earnings, will be able to explain compensatory wage differences, the uniqueness of the workforce, the influence of different qualifications and apply the theories of non-competing groups and the dual labor market, will be able to define discrimination in the labor market, analyze its manifestations and causes, define monopsony in the labor market, explain the role and goals of unions, explain bilateral monopoly, define the unemployed, describe methods of monitoring and measuring unemployment and define types of unemployment, will be able to evaluate the causes and solutions to unemployment from the perspective of various economic theories and explain the concept of the natural rate of unemployment, will be able to analyze the consequences of unemployment for individuals, will be able to analyze the impacts of automation, robotization, artificial intelligence and the sharing economy on the labor market, evaluate the role of the green economy and corporate social responsibility, will be able to analyze and assess policies supporting sustainable employment, will be able to explain employment policy, who implements it, its objectives, distinguish between active and passive employment policy, analyze employment policy in the EU context, explain the basic theoretical causes of international labor migration and classify different types of migration movements, will be able to analyze the impact of automation, robotization and artificial intelligence on the demand for domestic and foreign labor in various sectors.
Syllabus

1. The labour market under conditions of perfect competition


Characteristics of microeconomic connections of the labour market – firm demand for labor and derivation of its curve, factors affecting firm demand for labor, derivation and explanation of individual labor supply, substitution and income effect of individual labor supply, equilibrium and disequilibrium in the labor market.


2. Investment in human capital


Explanation of the concept of human capital. Factors influencing a person's decision to continue studying – costs of education and returns from education. The essence of the theory of investment in human capital, an elementary model of investment in education. Investment in human capital from the perspective of the firm.


3. Differences in wages in the labor market and discrimination in the labor market


Explanation of the mechanisms by which wages are formed in firms. Explanation of the existence of differences in earnings in the labor market – compensatory wage differences, uniqueness of the labor force in the labor market, differences due to different qualifications, theory of non-competing groups in the labor market, theory of the dual labor market. Definition of discrimination in the labor market, manifestations and causes of discrimination. Forms of combating discrimination in the labor market, effectiveness of individual anti-discrimination measures.


4. Monopsony and unions in the labor market


Monopsony in the labor market – definition of monopsony and derivation of its behavior, monopsony profit and loss of society from insufficient allocation of resources. Role and goals of unions in the labor market, union strategies in raising wages. Bilateral monopoly in the labor market.


5. Unemployment


Characteristics of macroeconomic contexts of the labor market – factors influencing the emergence of unemployment on the labor market, definition of the unemployed, monitoring and measurement of unemployment, individual types of unemployment, causes and solutions to unemployment from the perspective of various economic directions, natural rate of unemployment. Consequences of unemployment for individuals, factors determining people's reactions to unemployment. Dynamics of experiencing unemployment. Life strategies of the unemployed over time.


6. Sustainable employment in a technologically changing world


Impacts of automation, robotization, artificial intelligence and the sharing economy on the labor market. The role of the green economy and corporate social responsibility in creating long-term and stable jobs. The need for retraining, lifelong learning and the development of digital and social skills, which are necessary for employability in times of technological change. Policies supporting sustainable employment, including active support for innovation, digital skills and investment in green sectors. Challenges such as the uneven impact of technology on different sectors, and the opportunities that modern technologies bring for a more inclusive and resilient labour market.


7. Employment policy


Employment policy, its objectives and measures. Active and passive employment policy, basic characteristics of employment policy programmes. Evaluation of the effectiveness of individual employment policy programmes. Employment policy in the European Union – characteristics of the EU labour market, pillars of EU employment policy, EU employment policy directives, national action plans of EU countries. Active and passive employment policy programmes implemented in the Czech Republic.


8. International labour movement


Explanation of international labour migration, basic theoretical causes of labour migration. Classification of migration movements, identification of main migration territories. Impacts of globalisation, deglobalisation, automation, robotisation and artificial intelligence on the Czech labour market, or rather domestic labour force and demand for foreign labour force in various sectors. New forms of work, such as remote work and the gig economy, and their impact on migration flows.

Literature
    required literature
  • Kajzar, P., & Tvrdoň, M. (2025). Trh práce a politika zaměstnanosti. Distanční studijní text. SU OPF.
    recommended literature
  • Borjas, G. (2008). Labour Economics. McGraw-Hill.
  • McConnell, C. R., Brue, S. L., & Macpherson, D. A. (2010). Contemporary labor economics. McGraw-Hill.
Teaching methods
Working with text, working in teams, group discussion and group problem solving methods, brainstorming, brainwriting, teaching using case studies.
Assessment methods
minimum 60% participation in seminars, project (40% evaluation), written exam (60% evaluation)
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is also listed under the following terms Winter 2019, Winter 2021, Winter 2022, Winter 2023, Winter 2024, Winter 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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