Odvětvový vliv minimální mzdy na zaměstnanost a mzdy v České republice

This bachelor thesis analyses the impact of the minimum wage on employment and wages in the accommodation and food service activities sector (NACE I) in the Czech Republic over the period 2010 2023. The theoretical part summarises the main economic approaches to the effects of the minimum wage on the labour market and is complemented by a literature review of selected empirical studies. The empirical part is based on panel regression analysis of annual data from the 14 regions of the Czech Republic for both headcount employees and full-time equivalent employees. The main explanatory variable is constructed as the Kaitz index, i.e. the ratio of the minimum wage to the average wage in the given region and sector. The results show that an increase in the Kaitz index has a statistically significant positive effect on regional wage growth in the NACE I sector, and this finding is stable across all model specifications. By contrast, the effect of the minimum wage on employment is statistically less stable and more sensitive to the inclusion of the pandemic period. The results for full-time equivalent employees further suggest that employers in the sector may respond to minimum wage increases by adjusting working hours rather than by reducing the number of employees. The contribution of the thesis lies in its sectoral and regional approach to this issue in the Czech environment, while its conclusions are consistent with foreign studies focused on low-wage industries.