Since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in the Czech Republic, 15,838 self-employed people have suspended their trade licences, an increase of 25% year-on-year, and 45% more than in 2018. Most of these were reported in March, when 10,033 sole traders suspended their licences. The situation stabilized in April. The data was released on Monday, May 11th by Bisnode, a leader in data provision and business analytics. Photo credit: Freepik / For illustrative purposes.
Czech Rep., May 11 (BD) – “The biggest wave [of suspended trade licences] came in March, when 10,033 self-employed trade licences were suspended, an increase of 47% year-on-year. In April the figure was 5,805, roughly the same as in 2019,” said Bisnode analyst Petra Štěpánová. “In the second and third weeks of April, even fewer self-employed people suspended their licences than in 2019 and 2018,” added Štěpánová.
Catering Sector Hit Hardest
According to Bisnode’s analysis, the sector with the most discontinued trade licences between March and April 2020 was the catering sector, with 984 licences suspended, a 19% increase compared to last year.
Other sectors seeing large numbers of suspended licences were wholesale intermediaries (908 suspended, an increase of 1,144% year-on-year) and hairdressers and beauticians (816 suspended, 76% more than in 2019 and 119% more than in 2018).
Business sectors with the most suspended sole trader licences in the period from March to April 2020. Source: Bisnode, May 11.
| Sector | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2019/2020 | 2018/2020 |
| Catering services | 984 | 827 | 705 | 18,98 % | 39,57 % |
| Wholesale intermediaries | 908 | 73 | 1225 | 1143,84 % | -25,88 % |
| Hairdressers, beauticians | 816 | 463 | 373 | 76,24 % | 118,77 % |
