PRAGUE: The Czech unemployment rate rose to 3.56pc in May from 3.4pc in April, Labour Minister Jana Malacova was cited as saying by Czech Television on Thursday.

The Labour Ministry was due to publish complete data on Friday.

The rise was in line with analysts' consensus forecast seeing a rise to a rate of 3.6pc, the highest since February 2018.

Unemployment in the Czech Republic was the lowest in the European Union going into the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

The rate has risen from 3.0pc in February and analysts expect it to keep climbing.