The International Monetary Fund is slightly less optimistic about the prospects for economic growth in the Czech Republic than the country’s government, predicting a 3.5 percent rise in GDP for 2018. This would slow to just 3 percent in 2019, according to the IMF. The Czech finance ministry estimated growth of 3.6 percent for 2018 and 3.3 percent in 2019. The IMF warns that the slowing economy will be accompanied by rising unemployment, but even if its prediction of 3.2 percent by next year proves correct, companies will continue to have trouble finding new employees. Last year ended with unemployment of 2.9 percent. Slovakia’s economy should be picking up this year, however. The IMF believes it could jump from 3.4 percent growth last year to 4 percent. Worldwide, the organization is predicting a 0.1 percent rise in growth to 3.9 percent for 2018 and for 2019.
