J. For. Sci., 2026, 72(3):136-147 | DOI: 10.17221/10/2026-JFS

Are Czechs interested in employment in forestry?Original Paper

Eva Abramuszkinová Pavlíková ORCID...1, Jana Stachová ORCID...2, Kristina Somerlíková ORCID...3, Eliška Svobodová ORCID...3, Zdeněk Šilhan ORCID...4, Kateřina Holušová ORCID...5,6
1 Department of Engineering, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
2 Department of Local and Regional Studies, Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
3 Department of Regional and Business Economics, Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
4 Department of Regional Development, Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
5 Department of Forest and Wood Product Economics and Policy, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
6 Department of Environmental Science and Natural Resources, Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic

This study analyses the professional interests and motivations of people regarding forestry careers. An online survey (N = 162) was conducted in May 2025. The study identifies the profile of a typical forestry candidate as an individual from a rural area, regardless of gender, who prioritises job security and personal satisfaction over high financial reward. The findings confirm that while forestry students show the strongest interest, intrinsic motivation and a personal relationship with nature are the primary drivers across the board. The key results indicate that practical field experience and communication with professionals significantly bolster career interest. Furthermore, the emerging generation of foresters demonstrates an 'ecologically realistic' perspective, favouring sustainable management and biocentric values over traditional paradigms. The study suggests that to combat the declining workforce, forestry communication should leverage these intrinsic values and increase practical engagement during university studies. Respondents assigned the greatest importance to statements reflecting biocentric and ecocentric values, emphasising the intrinsic value of forests, ecosystem impact considerations, and their role in environmental balance and human well-being.

Keywords: attitude; career; motivation; values; well-being

Received: January 24, 2026; Revised: March 2, 2026; Accepted: March 2, 2026; Prepublished online: March 27, 2026; Published: March 31, 2026  Show citation

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Abramuszkinová Pavlíková E, Stachová J, Somerlíková K, Svobodová E, Šilhan Z, Holušová K. Are Czechs interested in employment in forestry? Journal of Forest Science. 2026;72(3):136-147. doi: 10.17221/10/2026-JFS.
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