Labour market information: Hungary

The population of Hungary was 9 730 000 on 1 January 2021, which is the result of a continuous decline, with an additional fall of 0.4 % against the previous year.

Based on the Labour Force Survey data for the fourth quarter of 2020, the economically active population aged 15-74 numbered 4 678 800, with the participation rate standing at 63.2%. Of the active population, 4 482 300 were in employment, while 196 500 were unemployed.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, the employment rate of the population aged 15–74 was 60.5%, representing a fall of 0.5 percentage points against the same quarter in 2019.

The number of people in the 15–74 age group considered unemployed under the ILO definition has been declining continuously since the period of January to March 2015. In the fourth quarter of 2020, the number of people considered unemployed under the ILO definition was 196 500, which represents an increase of 41 300 people against the same period of the previous year and is well below the pre-crisis figures (second quarter of 2008: 315 500).

In the fourth quarter of 2020, the average month-end number of jobseekers registered by the National Employment Service (NFSZ) was 297 800, representing a significant rise against the same quarter of the previous year.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, 8.2% of jobseekers were first-time jobseekers. The number of first-time jobseekers showed a slight increase as compared to the fourth quarter of 2019.

39.1% of all jobseekers had completed the maximum 8 years of primary education, 22.7 % had graduated from a vocational or skilled workers’ training school, another 28.1% had passed the secondary school leaving examination, and 7.6% held a college or university degree. The proportion of first-time jobseekers with only primary education (8 forms or less) was 38.4%, while another 41.3% had passed the secondary school leaving examination, and a further 6.0% had obtained a college or university degree.

From a geographical perspective, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County and Budapest had the highest number of jobseekers (40 300 and 27 700, respectively) in Hungary, and in the regions where the labour market situation is worse, the composition of jobseekers by level of education also tends to be less favourable than the national average. The increase in the number of jobseekers against the same period of the previous year was largest in Budapest and Győr-Moson-Sopron County (203.7% and 149.2%, respectively).

By the end of the fourth quarter of 2020, labour offices received notifications of collective redundancies affecting a total of 13 000 people. The number of redundancies notified increased threefold against the same period of the previous year.

Budapest

According to the 2020 KSH labour force survey, the economically active population aged 15–74 in Budapest numbered 907 700, and the inactive population was 399 300.

The participation rate increased by 1.3 percentage points against the previous year, to 69.4%.

In 2020, there were 878 400 employed persons in Budapest, which is 4 100 more than in 2019. However, the number of unemployed persons showed a greater increase: 29 200 people in 2020, which is 8 200 more than 2019.

The unemployment rate was 3.2 %, 0.9 percentage points higher than the previous year.

In the capital, the data regarding the unemployment, participation and employment rates are more favourable than the national average, as the unemployment rate was 0.9 percentage points lower and the participation and employment rates were 4.6 percentage points and 5.1 percentage points higher, respectively, both of which are the nation’s highest figures.

NFSZ data indicate a significant increase in the number of registered unemployed persons (jobseekers), which is clearly attributable to the coronavirus pandemic.

In Budapest, the number of jobseekers registered by the employment departments of district offices was 13 652 in December 2019; a year later, as at the last day of December, it amounted to 26 674, representing an increase of 95 %. The number of registered first-time jobseekers increased from 414 to 843, and their percentage to the number of jobseekers in total grew from 3.1% to 3.3% in 2020.

21% of all jobseekers had completed the maximum 8 years of primary education, 37% had graduated from a vocational or skilled workers’ training school or a secondary vocational school, another 19% had passed the secondary school leaving examination, and 23% held a college or university degree.

There was no significant change in the gender composition of registered jobseekers: in December 2020, men accounted for 43.2% and women for 56.8%.

Pest County

Central Hungary is the most economically significant and also the most developed region in Hungary. It comprises the capital city of Budapest and Pest County.

According to the latest data from the KSH Labour Force Survey, in the fourth quarter of 2020, 674 000 people in the 15–74 age group were economically active in Pest County, which represents an increase of more than 17 900 on the same period in the previous year.

The participation rate increased by 1.0% year on year to 68.0%, one of the highest participation rates at national level.

There were 651 300 people employed and 22 700 unemployed, with an unemployment rate of 3.4%.

The economically inactive population aged 15–74 years numbered 317 600, which represents a decline of 5 000 on the previous year.

The data of the National Employment Service indicate a decline in unemployment in the second half of 2019, followed by a significant increase in the first half of 2020.

There were 24 500 registered jobseekers in the fourth quarter of 2020, which is 6 500 more than the same period in the previous year.

The average quarterly number of registered first-time jobseekers in Pest County increased over the past year and reached 1 129 people in the fourth quarter of 2020. First-time jobseekers accounted for 4.6% of all registered jobseekers in the examined quarter. This figure represents a decline of 0.1 percentage points compared to the same period of the previous year.

There were 2 320 jobseekers under 25 in the examined period, which is an increase by 800 people as compared to the same period in the previous year. Within the total number of jobseekers, the number of jobseekers under 25 increased by 0.8 percentage points to 9.4% against the same period of the previous year.

When examining the breakdown by education, the percentage of jobseekers with secondary and primary school educations was, at 56.8% and 29.0%, respectively, the highest among registered jobseekers.

Fejér County

Fejér County is located in Transdanubia; its county capital is Székesfehérvár. Fejér County is one of the most diverse regions of Hungary. It covers a territory of 4 358 km². The county is divided into 10 statistical sub-regions and 8 employment districts. There are 108 settlements in the county, including 15 towns, two of which have county rights. The county’s geographic and geo-economic position and settlement pattern largely determine the opportunities of the population to earn a living. On 1 January 2020, population density was 96 people per km², exceeding the national average outside Budapest and making the county one of the most densely populated in Hungary.

The population of Fejér County was 418 600 at the beginning of 2020, after a slight increase of 0.3% over one year. 14.5% of the county’s inhabitants are under 14, 66.2% are aged 15 to 64, and 19.3% are aged 65 or older. The dependency rate of the child population is increasing and that of elderly people is also on the rise in the county. While in 1995 there were 28 children per 100 people of active age, in 2000 there were 25 children, in 2014 21, but by 2019 a slight and continuous increase to 21.8 was registered. The proportion of the dependent population is 49.8%, which is more favourable than the regional and national levels. In 2020, the ageing index in Fejér County was 132.4%, lower than the regional index. At the beginning of the year, 277 100 people (i.e. 66.2% of the population) were of working age, between 15 and 64.

According to data from the KSH Labour Force Survey, in the fourth quarter of 2020, the number of economically active people within the population aged 15–74 was 216 600, nearly 1 000 higher than in the previous year. Accordingly, the participation rate was 66.9%. Meanwhile, the number of people in employment increased and that of the unemployed decreased. There were 211 200 people employed in the fourth quarter of 2020, 1 300 people more than in the same period of the previous year. The employment rate was 65.2%, which is equal to one year before and is 2.8 percentage points higher than the national average (62.4%). There were 5 400 unemployed people, 300 less than a year earlier. The unemployment rate was 2.5 %, which was 1.6 percentage points lower than the national average. The economically inactive population aged 15–74 numbered 107 400.

The mid-year transactional data in the register of the National Employment Service shows that in Fejér County there were 9 600 jobseekers on the December closing date in 2020, representing an increase of slightly more than 20 % year on year.

In 2020, the number of registered jobseekers continuously increased in the first half of the year from the December 2019 value of 7 951 persons, increasing by 5 600 persons by June to peak at 13 685, following which it steadily decreased in the second half of the year. The figure stood at 10 900 in September, which slowly but surely decreased until it reached 9 600 in December. At a yearly level, the average number of jobseekers registered at the monthly closing dates was 10 831, which is 31.6% (2 598 people) higher than the average monthly figure for 2019.

In 2020, an average of 6.2 % of all jobseekers (676 people per month on average) registered in the county were first-time jobseekers. The change in this number showed a similar pattern to the previous year’s changes: the number increased by 29 (4.5%) and the ratio to all registered jobseekers dropped by 1.7 percentage points. In the second and third quarters, the number of jobseekers was more than the previous year’s data, and it was more than 700 for four consecutive months. Their number was 76 less than that of last year, with the peak in July surpassing last year’s figures by 167 persons.

Komárom-Esztergom County

According to data from the KSH Labour Force Survey for 2020, the population aged 15–74 in the county numbered 232 200. Within this, the number of economically active people was 150 100. Of these, 145 700 qualified as employed, which was barely less than the previous year. Economically active people accounted for 64.7% of all the people in their age group, while the same proportion of employed people was 62.8%. Compared to the figures of a year earlier, the activity rate remained practically unchanged, though the employment percentage decreased by 0.7 percentage points. The latter index continued to exceed the national level, and the number of active workers was similar to national figures. The number of people considered unemployed under the ILO definition increased from 4 400 by 2 100 in the course of a year, and the related unemployment rate increased from 2.9% by 1.4 percentage point, yet the relative indicator was still better than the national average.

According to data from the National Employment Service, 5 791 jobseekers were registered in the county at the end of 2020, accounting for 4.0 % of the economically active population. In the first six months of the year, their number increased by 4 181 (90.1%) and a rate of 2.9 percentage points, which were primarily influenced by the COVID-19 epidemic and the emergency situation put in place in mid-March. The number of jobseekers peaked at 8 820 persons and its relative indicator peaked at 6.1 % at the end of June. Although the second half of the year was characterised by continuous downsizing, the year-end number of 1 152 persons (24.8 %) exceeded last year’s figure by 0.8 percentage points. The difference between the average data of 2020 and the previous year illustrate the effects of the epidemic on the labour market even better. On average, the number of registered jobseekers was 6 911 in 2020, which is 2 008 persons (41.0 %) more, and its value of 4.8 % was 1.4 percentage points higher than the previous year.

The situation caused by the epidemic did not lead to lasting production downtime in the majority of manufacturing industry companies with large and medium-sized staff; only a couple of cases of significant downsizing took place. However, the SMEs in the commercial, catering, transport, and services sectors were forced to face serious, prolonged difficulties, which often led to the suspension of their activities and to redundancies. However, a number of manufacturing industry companies, including some that were recently launched, increased the number of staff, though these are hardly significant in terms of registered demand.

Veszprém County

Veszprém County is located in the Central Transdanubia Region and is one of the nation’s medium-sized counties. The county’s ten districts contain a total of 217 settlements that give home to 341 200 persons. The region’s employment situation is better than the national average. The labour market situation in the county is determined by the different economic, social and geographical environment and local conditions of its ten districts. The effect of tourism to Lake Balaton on employment is felt primarily in the districts along the shoreline (Balatonfüred, Balatonalmádi and Tapolca), but also plays a decisive role in the rest of the county.

The appearance of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 resulted in a downturn on the labour market in Veszprém County as well: although the number of employees did not decrease, there was a significant rise in the number of unemployed persons as compared to the previous year. In line with the definitions of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the KSH data published pertaining to the population aged 15–74 revealed 162 200 employees and 4 300 unemployed persons on the county labour market in the fourth quarter of 2020. Although the number of employed persons increased by 500 persons against the same period last year, even despite of the pandemic, there was a slight decrease in employment figures: The quarterly county employment rate decreased by 0.1 percentage points, to 62.0 %, which was still higher than the national average. The 700-person increase in the number of unemployed persons caused the unemployment rate to increase from 2.2 % to 2.6 % within one year. Despite of this fact, Veszprém County has one of lowest county unemployment rates.

According to data from the National Employment Service, on average 5.1 % of the active population aged 15–74, equal to 8 282 persons, were registered jobseekers in the fourth quarter of 2020, which is a significant increase compared to the same period in the previous year. One year earlier, 3.9 % of the active population aged 15–74 (6 400 persons) was registered as jobseekers. Although the restrictions put in place due to the coronavirus resulted in a large increase in the number of registered persons in the jobseekers’ registry, their number again started to decrease in the third quarter of 2020. The position of the labour market in eight of the county’s districts was better than the national average; however, Devecser and Sümeg Districts were worse off than the county and national averages in the fourth quarter of 2020. As of the closing date in December 2020, 49.2 % of jobseekers were men and 50.8 % were women. The percentage of first-time jobseekers among registered jobseekers decreased from 5.3 % in December 2019 to 4.8 % at the end of 2020. The coronavirus epidemic led to a rise in the number of persons with vocational qualifications and higher educational levels in the register as compared to the previous year. In December 2019, 35.7 % of jobseekers had a primary school education, which figure dropped to 32.1 % by the closing date in December 2020.

Fejér County

Some 10 500 new vacancies (10 541) were received by the county’s employment departments over the course of the year. That means an average of 878 new vacancies advertised by the county’s employers each month. This represents approximately 2 000 fewer jobs annually than in 2019, and 150 fewer per month on average. Most vacancies (1 907) were reported in March, whereas the fewest (259) were reported in the first month of the year.

There were, on average, 422 new registrations each month in non-subsidised jobs, only 107 fewer per month than the previous year’s average. On average, they represented 48.1 % of all registered new jobs during the year.

The average number of subsidised jobs per month was 456, somewhat lower than the figure for the previous year (493). However, the total annual number of subsidised jobs is close to 5 500 (the exact figure is 5 472).

Subsidies positions included mainly the positions registered as part of workfare schemes, which make up for just over half of subsidised positions (50.5 %). Of these newly registered positions, the most frequent are other cleaning and assistance occupations, which affect 1 074 persons, other, simple service and transport occupations not elsewhere classified (1 058 persons), and simple industrial occupations (1 049 persons).

Komárom-Esztergom County

A total of 11 585 positions were announced for registered jobseekers. Of these, 6 691 were so-called normal jobs (57.8 %), 2 644 were subsidised jobs (22.8 %) and 2 250 targeted foreign employees (19.4 %). The number of normal offers decreased by 18.8 % compared to a year earlier (1 552 offers), a third of which is a result of a decrease in demand in the catering and transport sectors. 2 943 vacancies were registered in the manufacturing industry, though a significant portion of the 1 191 vacancies registered by temporary work agencies were also aimed at filling positions in the manufacturing, packaging, and warehouse industries. The continuing increase in demand for foreign workers is primarily due to the labour requirements of the investment projects of South Korean investors in the county.

In the breakdown of normal job offers by occupation, the demand for various types of production line assembly workers and mostly simple industrial workers required for similar jobs (2 245 vacancies altogether) must be mentioned in the first place. There were 801 openings for machine operators in the manufacturing industry, 210 and 220 openings for metal processors and metalworkers, respectively, and 100 and 110 openings for machine operators in the plastic processing and chemical industries, respectively. A significantly smaller number of positions requiring suitable professional qualifications were registered: only the demand for welders, electricians, and forklift drivers was equal to or greater than 100 persons. Of white-collar positions, the 179 openings for technicians and similar technical occupations and, within that amount, the 51 requests for quality assurance technicians are worth mentioning. A total of 1 131 positions were reported for the simplest unskilled worker positions.

Veszprém County

In Veszprém County the share of open labour market demand has continued to rise year after year; in 2020, three fourths of all labour demand came from the primary labour market. The role of workfare schemes is decreasing every year. In the case of more than a third of the 10 011 vacancies registered in the course of the year, employers were ready for the suitable workforce without using any form of subsidy, and almost two thirds were planned to be filled with the use of Hungarian and EU subsidies.

Within the county, most of the vacancies were advertised in the employment districts of Ajka, Pápa, and Veszprém. In 2020, manufacturing industry and construction companies, restaurants, and retail companies had the greatest demand for staff. Half of registered positions were simple occupations that did not require any professional qualifications.

Fejér County

In 2020, there were some 22 000 newly registered jobseekers in Fejér County. The positions most sought by newly registered jobseekers included the following: shop assistant (1 777 people), general office administrator (1 695 people), other simple service and transport occupations not elsewhere classified (1 421 people), mechanical machine assembly worker (978 people), institutional cleaner and assistant (649 people), truck driver and lorry driver (543 people), other cleaner and helper (536 people), forklift driver (482 people), kitchen helper (448 people), cook (386 people), other simple construction occupations (373 people), locksmith (369 people), freight handler (351 people), waiter (340 people), security guard and bodyguard (300 people), materials manager, purchaser (272 people), childminder and nanny (271 people), bartender (261 people), simple industrial occupations (258 people), operator of other manufacturing machinery not elsewhere classified (234 people), welder and flame cutter (208 people), bricklayer (202 people), etc.

A major oversupply of labour is likely to be registered within the sector of non-material services in the field of professional, scientific, technical and administrative activities, and within the sector of material services mainly in the field of trade and vehicle repair, but the number of jobseekers is high also in the different product manufacturing sectors of the manufacturing industry.

Komárom-Esztergom County

In the target year, 15 679 people became registered jobseekers, which was 15.7 % (i.e. 2 125 persons) more than the previous year. This growth was concentrated in the upward trend in the first wave of the epidemic (the second quarter of the years), when the number of applicants from the commercial, catering, and accommodation provider sectors jumped, as did the number of applications from temporary work agencies. By the second half of the year, the influx slowed and later the number of applicants from the sectors most affected by the epidemic dropped to levels similar to that of the previous year.

The majority of newly registered jobseekers (2 976) were looking for simple jobs as unskilled workers. This was followed by the significantly lower number of production line assembly workers (1 636 persons) and by people in the trade industry (1 454 persons), most of whom were shop assistants. 823 jobseekers applied from restaurant industry positions and 575 and 468 applied for forklift driving and heavy truck driving positions, respectively. Among the newly registered jobseekers, 4 410 people were looking for white-collar jobs, and the overwhelming majority (1 497) were applying for administrative office jobs.

Veszprém County

In 2020 on average, people who had only completed primary education and people who had not even completed primary education together accounted for 32.4 % of all registered jobseekers in the county. 32.0% of jobseekers held a certificate from a skilled workers’ training school or a vocational school, 18.0% had a certificate from a secondary vocational school, 10.3% had passed the secondary school leaving examination at a grammar school or a vocational grammar school, whereas people with a college or university degree accounted for 7.3%.

People in the register typically had had a position in the manufacturing industry or the services sector, and they wished to find a new position in the same sector, for the most part in positions that do not require any qualifications. These positions were followed by the positions of salesperson, general office administrator, mechanical machine assembly worker, heavy truck driver, and waiter.

Győr-Moson-Sopron County

The population of Győr-Moson-Sopron County (hereinafter: the county) was, according to the figures from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (hereinafter: KSH) 365 200, which is 0.99 % more than in 2019. The county is home to 5.3 % of Hungary’s employed people.

In a breakdown by sex, women accounted for 51.21 % of the population

and men for 48.79 %.

According to the KSH Labour Force Survey and in line with the processes characterising the country as a whole, the number of employed people declined, while the number of jobseekers increased compared to 2019.

With the exception of Budapest, the county boasts the nation’s best employment figures (66.7 %).

The unemployment rate was 1.4%, 0.3% higher than 2019 data.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, the county had 243 900 people in its economically active population (aged 15-64), which was 0.33 % less than the same period in 2019.

In the fourth quarter of 2019, the proportion of jobseekers registered for 3 months or less was 84.4%, while in the same period in 2020 it was 86.6%. 13.4 % of jobseekers had been unable to find employment for more than a year.

The coronavirus epidemic resulted in a significant increase in the number of registered jobseekers, primarily due to the registration of people who had commuted to foreign countries and had lost their jobs.

The increase in the number of jobseekers showed a slight slowdown at the end of December 2020. In the fourth quarter of 2020, a total of 4636 people registered with the district offices of the Győr-Moson-Sopron County Government Office, acting in employment matters. There were 613 jobseekers under 25, which is more than one and a half times as much as in 2019.

In all four quarters of 2020, socio-economic processes were determined by the measures put in place in connection with the coronavirus epidemic. The government’s priority is to keep as many jobs as possible, create as many new jobs as have been lost, to enable the quick labour market reintegration of unemployed people, and to provide economic support to the sectors most affected by the epidemic. This support includes sectoral wage subsidies aimed at retaining jobs, providing innovation wage subsidies to researchers and developers, and providing workforce subsidies to companies targeting the creation of workplaces. In the case of the above forms of support, the government assumes a part of wage costs from the employer.

Vas County

The epidemic interrupted an advantageous trend in the labour market. Economic activity had continuously increased in recent years, which resulted in increased employment and reduced unemployment.

According to the Labour Force Survey of the KSH, in the fourth quarter of 2020, 64.8% of the population aged 15–74, or 127 800 economically active people, were present on the county’s job market, 2 200 fewer than in the previous year. Among the economically active population, the number in employment decreased by 2 200, while the number of unemployed fell by 100. The unemployed rate peaked at 2.0%, whereas the employment rate reached 63.5%. This was 3.0 percentage points above the national average.

The coronavirus outbreak and the announcement of the state of emergency in mid-March bucked favourable labour market trends. As opposed to previous trends, the number of registered jobseekers increased already in March, and the massive increase was recorded in April, when the number of jobseekers grew by 40 % within a month. The increasing trend continued in May, though its rate (14.7 %) was less than the previous month. This was the month with the highest number of registered jobseekers in the year. The trend was interrupted in June, and the number of registered jobseekers started decreasing from month to month. It is more difficult to track the second wave of the epidemic in labour market indicators, as employment aids were introduced in the areas most affected by the epidemic that motivated employers to retain their employees.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, there was an average of 5 500 jobseekers in the registration system, which is 1.3 times the amount in the same quarter of 2019, but is 21.6 % less than the previous quarter.

Despite the deteriorating trends, Vas County is one of the counties with the best labour market position. The rate of jobseekers (4.2% per month on average) was 2.2 percentage points better than the national average.

2020 saw some unusual processes that affected the number of jobseekers. April and May of the year were characterised by a tendency of growth contrary! to the downward trend of previous years. This disadvantageous change is the result of the coronavirus epidemic. The first month of the summer was also characterised by a distinctive positive trend that surpassed those of previous years: this could also be taken as an indication of the fact that the number of first-time jobseekers would be higher than usual. Growth had been typical in June in previous years as well; however, this year the rate of growth significantly exceeded that of previous years. This dynamic expansion continued in July. August saw the most first-time jobseekers in the register: their number exceeded 581 persons.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, the average monthly number of registered first-time jobseekers was 407, which is 35.7% higher than in the same period of the previous year.

Zala County

Similar to the national trend, the county’s population has been decreasing for many years. On 1 January 2020, it numbered 267 300.

The working-age population is approximately 171 000, representing nearly two-thirds of the total population. The age composition of the population of the county is slightly different from the national figures. In Zala County, the proportion of people under 15 is 1.5 percentage points lower, the proportion of those aged 15–64 is 1 percentage point lower, while the proportion of those over 64 is 2.5 percentage points higher than the national average.

Most data concerning the employment situation are sourced from the questionnaire-based quarterly Labour Force Survey of the KSH. Based on those data, the average number of people employed in Zala County in the fourth quarter of 2020 was 122 500, which is 2 400 lower than one year before.

Although the employment rate is 0.1 percentage point lower than in the first quarter of 2019, its value of 72.4 % was 2.2 percentage points above the national average.

According to the above survey, the number of unemployed people in the county was 3 300 in the fourth quarter of 2020, which is 700 more than a year earlier. The unemployment rate increased from 2.0 % to 2.7 % but is still significantly under the national average.

Even though economic activity in the county was significantly less year-on-year, the activity rate of 74.3 % in the fourth quarter of 2020 was still 1 percentage point higher than the national average.

According to the average figures for 2020, the number of registered jobseekers in Zala County is the seventh lowest of all counties and, in terms of the proportion of the job-seeking population, 9 counties are in a more favourable position than Zala. Overall, the trends in the year in terms of key indicators were less favourable in Zala County than at a national level, since the negative impacts of the pandemic were more noticeable in the county than average.

In 2020, there were on average 9 700 registered jobseekers in the county, 2900 more than a year earlier. Within the county, most districts experienced an increase of 30-40%, except for the Keszthely district, where the number of registered jobseekers was almost 90 % higher than in 2019 as a result of the significant role of accommodation services, catering and tourism.

In 2020, the average ratio of jobseekers to the economically active population was 7.4%, 2.2 percentage points higher than the ratio recorded one year earlier. The percentage of jobseekers was less than average in the Lenti, Keszthely, Zalaszentgrót and Zalaegerszeg districts over the long term, but figures in the Keszthely district exceeded the average by the end of the year. Letenye district has long had the highest rate, but the rate for the area around Nagykanizsa is also higher than average.

In 2020, the scale of labour market changes was also considerably different from one year before. The number of new additions to the register amounted to 18 200, and 16 400 persons were removed; the former is 3 400 and the latter is 2 000 more than in 2019.

In terms of economic indicators, Zala County is in the middle range compared to other Hungarian counties. At the end of 2020, there were 51 700 registered businesses in the county, including 10 000 partnerships and 41 700 sole traders. There were 193 businesses per a thousand inhabitants, which is higher than the national average.

The volume of industrial production per sites decreased by almost 7 % in Zala County in 2020, which is slightly worse than the national average.

According to the latest available territorial data from 2019, the per-capita gross domestic product (GDP) was HUF 3 654 000, which is significantly higher than in previous years. Thus, Zala County ranks eleventh among all the counties in Hungary.

Győr-Moson-Sopron County

In the fourth quarter of 2020, the coronavirus pandemic and the measures taken to control it affected several socio-economic processes. The number of newly registered positions: 2 241, 44.6 % of which were product assembler, 23.6 % were simple industrial occupations, and 13.8 % were manual packers. The majority of the remaining 18 % consisted of heavy truck and bus drivers and simple agricultural occupations.

The number of newly registered job positions significantly decreased in December 2020.

Among registered positions, warehouse worker, order-picking, metal industry skilled worker, bricklayer, plumber, tiler, baker, and confectioner positions were most frequent in the fourth quarter of 2020.

As a result of the various programmes announced by the government, interest in various positions in the construction industry (painter, tiler, bricklayer) increased significantly.

The machinery, car manufacturing, logistics service, and transport sectors also made continuous workforce reports.

Vas County

The coronavirus pandemic drastically changed the labour market processes in just a few days. Due to the unfavourable economic prospects, as the number of registered jobseekers increased, so the demand for labour fell. Employers notified 8 731 vacancies to the district offices, 24.4 % less than in the previous year.

The number of non-subsidised jobs decreased by 34.1 %, while subsidised jobs increased by 13.9 % compared to the previous year.

The number and proportion (18.2 %) of workers sought by businesses in the manufacturing industry were both high. Every fifth vacancy was reported from public administration. 8.1 % of the vacancies arose in the trade sector, 7.9 % in catering, 7 % in the construction industry, and 7.4 % in the field of health and social care provision.

Approximately 60 % of the vacancies advertised by employers did not require more than primary education. Such job openings regarded mainly semi-skilled and unskilled work. Most vacancies for skilled workers targeted shop assistants, cooks, waiters, and locksmiths.

Zala County

The impacts of the pandemic were noticeable both in the volume and composition of the demand for labour.

In 2020, 4 700 new non-subsidised job openings were published by employers in Zala County, fewer than in the previous periods. Demand for employees in non-subsidised jobs in Zala County represented almost 4 % of the national total, which is considered to be high.

While the highest demand for employees in non-subsidised jobs (approximately 1 400 people) came from the manufacturing industry, with more than 800 people, it was closely followed by the demand for labour in the field of administrative and service support activities, which covers primarily temporary work agencies. The demand for labour in the construction, accommodation services, catering and trade sectors was also higher than in other sectors.

In terms of non-subsidised jobs, besides the significant demand for labour in other simple occupations, in the first half of the year in the county a relatively large number of vacancies targeted locksmiths, bricklayers, assemblers, welders, machining workers, cooks, kitchen helpers, salespersons, waiters, and electricians.

As a result of government measures taken to restart the economy, the number of vacancies filled with the help of subsidies increased in the third quarter, particularly in the sectors of trade, accommodation services and catering.

Győr-Moson-Sopron County

There were 4 636 registered jobseekers in the fourth quarter of 2020, which is one and a half times more than the same period in 2019. Men accounted for 46.5 % and women for 53.5 % of all jobseekers. The number of those under 25 was 62 % more than in 2019. The proportion of jobseekers aged 26–50 increased at a similar rate. According to the age group specified by the National Employment Service, 27.9 % of jobseekers are skilled workers, 19.44 % have vocational secondary school educations, 20.2 % have primary school educations, and 1.75 % are people with disabilities.

Despite the significant assistance provided by the sectoral wage subsidy, the number of jobseekers decreased in the hotel and catering industries (maids, cleaners, waiters, cooks, and kitchen helpers). The other positions most sought by newly registered jobseekers included the following: general office administrator and salespersons.

Vas County

In 2020, 13 338 people were registered as new jobseekers, 43.3% more than a year before. Approximately 15% of new entrants were registered as unemployed for the first time, while the overwhelming majority had already searched for work before.

Of those who became unemployed, 20 % had worked in the manufacturing industry, about 10 % in trade, 17 % in catering, nearly 6 % in the construction industry, and another 6 % had been employed by temporary work agencies.

As at the last day of each month, an average of 6 314 people were looking for work in the county, most (571 people) seeking unskilled work. In addition to the above, the occupations most in demand among jobseekers were: shop assistant (485 people), mechanical machine assembly worker (340 people), general office administrator (349 people), institutional cleaner and assistant, hotels and other establishments (308 people), as well as waiter (212 people).

Zala County

In 2020 in Zala County, the number of newly registered jobseekers was extremely high (18 200) due to the pandemic. The occupations most in demand among new entrants were the following (in descending order of importance): simple unskilled occupations, shop assistant, office administrator, waiter, cook, truck driver, mechanical machine assembly worker, bartender, locksmith, security guard, cabinet-maker, painter, varnisher, and machining worker.

Baranya County

According to data from the KSH, the population of Baranya County is 359 100. There are 301 settlements in the county, which is dominated by small villages (two thirds of which have fewer than 500 inhabitants). Of the 14 towns in Baranya County, Pécs, the county seat, stands out with its 146 000 inhabitants, making it the fifth largest town in Hungary.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, there were 150 900 people employed and 10 100 unemployed. The employment rate stood at 55.5 %, the participation rate at 59.2 %, the former 6.9 percentage points, the latter 5.8 percentage points below the national average. The unemployment rate in the county was 6.3 %, whereas the national figure was 4.1 %. Compared to the equivalent period in the previous year, the average number of people employed decreased by 1.7 %, while the number of the unemployed decreased by 21.3 %.

In the average of the four quarters of 2019, the number of employees at farmers with more than 4 employees in Baranya County was 84 400, which is a drop of 6.7 % compared the previous year; this figure decreased by 3.4 % nationwide.

Compared to the base period, in the third quarter of 2020, 8.5% fewer people worked in the private sector, which provided jobs for 55.9% of all workers in Baranya County, while 5.9% fewer workers were employed in the public sector, which provided 44.5% of all jobs. Manufacturing topped the list of economic sectors, with a share of 19.4 % and a 7.5 % rate of decline. Education ranks second, with a share of 18.8 % and a growth rate of 0.3 %, and human health and social care fell by 7.5 % to land in third place with a share of 13.5 %. Characteristically, agriculture accounted for less than 5 % of employment, even though one-quarter of registered businesses operate in this sector (whereas manufacturing companies, which employed one-fifth of all employees, represents less than 5 % of all companies). The share of industry as a whole is below one-quarter of the total number of employed people (23.8 %, of which manufacturing contributes 20 %). Overall, trade and catering account for a larger share of employment than agriculture and construction.

According to data from the National Employment Service (NFSZ), the average number of registered jobseekers in Baranya County in 2020 was 17 234, which is significantly higher (by 23.3% or 3 252 people) than in the previous year. On average in 2019, the number of registered jobseekers was 13 982.

The labour market situation of the county can be assessed based on the ratio of jobseekers. In 2020, as a monthly average, registered jobseekers represented 12.9 % of the economically active population, which exceeded the national average by 3.2 percentage points. Baranya County’s average rate is the sixth highest in Hungary.

Of all registered jobseekers, a monthly average of 1 405 were first-time jobseekers, which is 14.0 % (172 people) more than a year earlier. The national figures have also shown a similar trend, increasing by 8.7%. First-time jobseekers accounted for an average of 8.2% of all jobseekers, 0.6 percentage points lower than in 2019 and 0.4 percentage points higher than the national average of the year under review.

In December 2020, the number of businesses registered in the county was 61 000, 0.4% higher than a year earlier. Sole traders numbered 46 000, while the number of partnerships in Baranya County was 15 000. A quarter of these businesses were established in agriculture, followed by – based on section – the real estate sector (13.6%), professional, scientific and technical activities (11.4%) and trade (8.9%). Industrial activities excluding construction accounted for just 5 %.

Somogy County

The decline of the population continued in 2019. As a result, by 1 January 2020, the population of Somogy County was 1 500 less than in the previous year, falling to 300 000, and accounting for just over 3 % of the overall population of Hungary.

Based on the results of the KSH’s latest Labour Force Survey, conducted in the fourth quarter of 2020, of the population belonging to the age group of 15–74, Somogy County had an active population of 132 900, 128 400 of whom were in employment and 4 500 were unemployed. The former figure increased by 5 200, the latter decreased by 400 compared to the equivalent period of the previous year.

Compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, the participation rate (58.0%) rose by 1.9 percentage points, accompanied by a rise of 2 percentage points in the employment rate (56.0%) and a 0.4 percentage-points drop in the unemployment rate (3.4%). The participation and employment rates of Somogy County were less favourable than the national average, while its unemployment rate is more favourable to the national rate.

According to data from the National Employment Service, the average month-end number of registered jobseekers in Somogy County was 14 600 in the fourth quarter of 2020, which represents a 19%

increase (2 338 people) year on year.

In Tolna County, the ratio of registered jobseekers to the economically active population in the fourth quarter of 2020 was 11.6%, which was 2 percentage points higher than the same ratio in the previous year.

Tolna County

Tolna County is located in the south-eastern part of Transdanubia. The county is bordered by Fejér County in the north, the River Danube in the east, Baranya County in the south and Somogy County in the west. As at the first of January 2020, the population of the county was 215 500, 0.9% lower than a year before.

According to the latest figures from the KSH's Labour Force Survey, in the third quarter of 2020, the number of economically active people within the population of Tolna County aged 15–74 was 101 800, which represents an increase of 500 compared to the previous year. Having increased by 1 percentage point, the participation rate was 62.3 % in the period under review. It was 2.8 percentage points lower than the national average. Following an increase of 1.2 percentage points over a year, in the fourth quarter of 2020 the number of people in employment was 98 700, accounting for 60.4 % of the population aged 15–74. The number of unemployed people was 3 100, while the unemployment rate was 3 % as opposed to 3.4% a year earlier. That figure considered, Tolna County had the seventh lowest rate among Hungarian counties. (The national average unemployment rate was 4.1 %.) The economically inactive population aged 15–74 was 61 700, a decrease of 3.5 % compared to the same period of the previous year.

According to data from the National Employment Service, the average number of registered jobseekers in Tolna County was 7 883 in 2020, which was 29.7 % lower than in the same period of the previous year. At the national level, the annual average number of jobseekers increased by 25.9 %.

In Tolna County, the ratio of registered jobseekers to the economically active population in 2020 was 8.1 %, which is higher than the national average of 6.8 % and 1.8 percentage points higher than the same ratio registered in the county in the previous year.

The number of registered first-time jobseekers increased. The average number in 2020 (736) was 93 persons higher than one year before. On average, first-time jobseekers accounted for 9.3% of all registered jobseekers, which is 1.3 percentage points lower than the previous year.

Baranya County

In 2020, employers notified the employment departments of Baranya County of a new demand for a total of 21 264 people, 2.6 % more than in the same period of 2019. On average, 1 772 new vacancies a month were thus available to jobseekers. Most of the new vacancies (87.6 %, or 18 631 offers) involved subsidised jobs, while the number of non-subsidised jobs available was only 2 633. The number of non-subsidised jobs decreased by 14 %, while subsidised jobs increased by 5.5 % compared to the previous year. Jobs available under workfare schemes accounted for two-thirds of all subsidised jobs.

The dominance of workfare schemes is also manifest in the nature of the jobs sought among all the advertised vacancies: simple service occupations accounted for 48.2 %, with the first skilled job (shop assistant) ranking only eighth on the list, with a share of a mere 2.0 %. Among non-subsidised jobs, salespersons rank third with a share of 3.3 %, bakers fifth (3.2 %), locksmiths sixth (2.9 %), while cooks and bricklayers also made it into the top ten.

Somogy County

In 2020, a total of 13 500 vacancies were registered by the Somogy County labour offices, which means that, on average, 1 100 jobs were offered to clients each month. Compared to the figures from 2019, the number of vacancies dropped by 5.2 %.

Employers applied for a subsidy for 85.4 % of the job openings advertised, thus offering job opportunities to 11 500 people, mostly under workfare schemes. New labour demand for normal, non-subsidised jobs was 14.6 %, providing employment for 2 000 people in total.

In terms of occupations, employers offered most of the jobs (to 9 600 people) to unskilled workers (simple occupations), followed by trade and service occupations (1 100), as well as industry and construction industry workers (800 people).

Tolna County

In 2020, a total of 8 252 new vacancies were advertised by employers in Tolna County, which represents a decline of 409 jobs against the previous year. The number of vacancies related to workfare schemes decreased by 4.3 % from 3 918 in the previous year to 3 750 in 2020. Employers applied for subsidies in respect of 80.6% (6 650 jobs) of all advertised jobs. The number of non-subsidised jobs showed a decline compared to the previous year, thus reaching 1 602. Most non-subsidised jobs were advertised by companies in the manufacturing industry (37.8%), in the construction industry (17.4%) and in the trade and motor vehicle repair sectors (14.1%). In all the other sectors, the proportion of non-subsidised jobs was below 10 %.

Baranya County

In 2020, on average, the monthly number of jobseekers in Baranya County was 17 234.

14.8% of the county’s inhabitants are under 25, 21.2% are aged 26 to 35, 20.0% are aged 36 to 45, 21.6 % are between 46 and 55, and, at 22.4 %, the percentage of those over 55 is quite high.

The proportion of those with no more than primary education was very high (40.3 % of registered jobseekers), while 54.2 % had completed secondary education (28.3 % had completed their studies at a skilled workers’ school, 14.6 % at a secondary vocational school and 11.1 % had passed the secondary school leaving examination at a grammar school). The proportion of jobseekers with a higher education degree is 5.6 %.

Most jobseekers were looking for unskilled work (3 518 people, 20.4 %), followed by occupations such as: shop assistant (1 436 people, 8.3 %); general office administrator (895 people, 5.2 %); cleaner and helper in offices/institutional cleaner and assistant, hotels and other establishments (731 people, 4.2 %), and kitchen helper (342 people, 2.6 %). Positions that require professional qualifications and for which more than 200 applications were submitted include truck drivers, waiters, cooks, bricklayers, security guards, locksmiths, and mechanical machine assembly workers.

Somogy County

In 2020, a monthly average of 2 100 people were added to the register of jobseekers in Somogy County, which represents a decline of 6.7 % year on year.

As at the last day of each month in 2020, the average number of jobseekers in the county was 15 500, most of whom (6 900 people) were looking for an unskilled (simple) job. In addition, jobseekers looking for employment in the trade and services sectors

(2 700 people), as well as in the industry and the construction sector (1 700 people) also constituted a large group.

Tolna County

In 2020, 14 300 jobseekers were registered in Tolna County, 14.5 % more than in the same period of 2019. The average month-end number of jobseekers in the county was 7 900, 2 900 of whom were looking for simple unskilled jobs. Other positions sought by a large number of jobseekers included: shop assistant (613 people), general office administrator (408 people), mechanical machine assembly worker (226 people), truck driver and lorry driver (157 people), locksmith (145 people), welder, flame cutter (128 people), security guard and bodyguard (125 people), waiter (122 people), cook (117 people), bricklayer (113 people), forklift driver (98 people), and painter and varnisher (98 people).

Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County

Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, in the north-east of Hungary, is the country’s second largest and second most populated county. The number of its inhabitants was 637 000 on 1 January 2020, 6.5 % of Hungary’s population. Of the county’s 16 districts, 14 are beneficiaries of regional development funds, and the county town, the city of Miskolc and its environs, is a priority development centre in the 2014-2020 budgetary period of the European Union.

Industry and manufacturing (the chemical, engineering, automotive and electronics industries) have long played a key role in the economy of the county, as have the tourist industry and the academic/educational sector, owing to the outstanding natural and cultural heritage of the region, including forests and medicinal waters, the World Heritage Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region, historic memorials and secondary and higher education institutions. Among the businesses operating in the county, the following ones are the most important in terms of their role in employment: Jabil Circuit Magyarország Kft., R. Bosch Power Tools Kft., R. Bosch Energy and Body Systems Kft. (engineering industry), Johnson Electric Kft., Shinwa Precíziós Kft., Modine Hungária Kft., Joyson Safety Systems Hungary Kft., Starters E-Components Automotive Hungary Kft., GS Juasa Magyarország Kft. (automotive industry), BorsodChem (BC) Zrt., MOL Petrolkémia Zrt. (chemical industry), Észak-magyarországi Közlekedési Központ Zrt. (passenger transport), Waberer’s-Szemerey Logisztikai Kft. (freight transport), Unio Coop Zrt.(trade), Borsodi Sörgyár Kft. (food industry), Prec-Cast Öntöde Kft., Ózdi Acélművek Kft. (metallurgy), Északerdő Erdőgazdasági Zrt., Szerencsi Mezőgazdasági Zrt. (forestry and agriculture), ÉRV (regional water management).

While the labour market of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County has been growing steadily since 2013, it is still one of the counties in the most disadvantaged situation. According to the statistical data in line with the ILO definitions for the first quarter of 2020, 58.9 % of the county’s population aged 15–74 was an employee or an active jobseeker, which means that there were 264 700 people employed and 14 400 unemployed. The employment rate was 55.9 % and the unemployment rate was 5.2 %. The employment rate was lower, while the unemployment rate was higher than the national average.

In 2020, the district offices acting under the authority of the national employment office were in contact with a monthly average of 41 000 jobseekers, whose number was 14.5 % (5 200 people) higher than in 2019 due to the unavoidable economic measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the structure of this county’s economy is different from that of the national economy and social employment is common, the labour market impact of the pandemic has been smaller in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County than nationally. In the county, the crisis first affected primarily the businesses operating in the automotive industry and tourism, as well as in the trade sector and in the field of certain business services. The entry into the jobseekers’ register of people who had lost their jobs led to an increase in the number of unemployed people with completed secondary education, higher education or vocational qualification in the county. At the end of December 2020, there were 40 000 registered jobseekers, almost half of whom held secondary vocational qualification (48 %) – nearly half of whom had also passed the secondary school leaving examination (23 %) –, but there was a large number of jobseekers with a low level of education as well (48 %). 1 500 graduates (4 %) of higher education institutions are looking for jobs. Most jobseekers were aged 25 to 49 (51%), 17% were aged below 25 while those aged 50 and over accounted for 32%. There were still slightly more men (51 %) than women (49 %) among the jobseekers in the county. Nearly one-tenth of jobseekers were young first-time jobseekers with no or very little work experience (4 000 people, 10 %).

Heves County

At the beginning of 2020, the population of Heves County was 293 000. Natural population decline slowed in the third quarter of 2020: the number of deaths was 1 016 more than the number of live births (the same figure was 1 431 persons in the third quarter of 2019). The number of live births was 11.0 % (212 people) higher and the number of deaths 6.0 % (203 people) lower than the base value.

According to the KSH labour force survey, there were 129 700 employed persons aged between 15 and 74 in Heves County in the fourth quarter of 2020. The number of people employed decreased by 5 300 (3.9%) compared to the fourth quarter of 2019 (at national level it decreased by 0.6%). The number of unemployed people published on the KSH’s website puts the figure for Heves County at 4 400 in the fourth quarter of 2020. Compared to the data of the fourth quarter of 2019, their number increased by 600 (equal to 15.7 % – compared to the national figure of 27.6 %). 58.9 % of the population aged between 15 and 74 in Heves County was employed in the fourth quarter of 2020 (which is 3.5 percentage points less than the national average), the unemployment rate was 3.3 % (compared to the national average of 4.1 %); the unemployment rate is lower in Győr-Moson-Sopron, Vas, Fejér, Komárom-Esztergom, Veszprém, and Zala Counties. According to the figures published by the KSH, the unemployment rate in Heves County was 0.2 percentage points lower than in Budapest (3.5%) in the fourth quarter of 2020.

An average of 12 757 jobseekers were registered in the months of the fourth quarter of 2020, 2 595 (25.5 %) more than the average of 10 162 in the fourth quarter of 2019.

As regards the unemployment rate based on the number of registered jobseekers, Heves County, whose 9.6 % indicator is 3.2 percentage points above the national average, lies in the middle of the county rankings. 44.9 % of all registered jobseekers (5 733 people) had completed a maximum of 8 years of primary education. Their number increased by 795 (16.1 %), while their ratio to all jobseekers decreased by 3.7 percentage points over the year. The proportion of jobseekers with primary education only (8 forms or less) is highest in the area of the Heves employment office (63.9%). The number of jobseekers with a secondary education increased by 1 564 (33.1 %) compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. As a monthly average, they numbered 6286 in the fourth quarter of 2020, accounting for 49.3 % of all jobseekers, which represents an increase of 2.8 percentage points year on year. There were 738 higher education graduate jobseekers in the County, which is 235 more than in the fourth quarter of 2019; their percentage among all jobseekers increased from 4.9 % to 5.8 %.

Nógrád County

Nógrád County is the second smallest medium-level administrative unit of Hungary, and also the one with the smallest population. Most of its 131 municipalities have fewer than a thousand residents. At the beginning of 2020, the population of Nógrád County numbered 188 000, and the past year saw a further decline of more than 1 300 persons due to the unfavourable demographic indicators.

In terms of key economic indicators, Nógrád County tends to rank very low among Hungarian counties, and this is coupled with a highly unfavourable labour market situation. Each of the county’s six sub-regions have been classified as disadvantaged.

In 2020, the county’s economy headed partly in a different and partly in a negative direction as that of Hungary as a whole. The disadvantageous effects of the pandemic affected all areas of life.

The improving tendencies that were typical of previous years turned around. The greatest loser in the coronavirus epidemic was the tourism sector, with industry and construction also seeing significant decreases compared to the previous year. In consequence, the business associations registered in the county seat spent significantly smaller amounts on investments than in 2019.

Manufacturing – particularly engineering – plays a key role in the economy of Nógrád County.

The conditions for agriculture and crop production are less favourable than in other parts of the country. In terms of their role in employment, businesses operating in manufacturing and trade are the most significant in the county. The most important companies, by district, are the following:

Salgótarján: Wamsler SE Rt, Magyarországi Hangszórógyártó Kft, Mitsuba Kft.

Balassagyarmat: MAHLE Compressors Hungary Kft, Nidec Sole Motor Hungary Kft.

Pásztó: EGLO Magyarország Kft, Csépe és Társai Kft, Elektromont Kft.

Szécsény: TOMMY INVEST Elektronikai Kft., Palóc-Coop Zrt., Profilplast Kft.

Bátonyterenye: Bombardier Kft., Besser Hungaria Kft., Viessmann Kft., ELIN Metal Kft.

Rétság: Knaus Tabbert Kft, HI-LEX Kft, Interfa Bútoripari Kft, Hungary Enbi Kft.

The negative economic changes are reflected in employment indicators and in the changes in the number of registered jobseekers. In the fourth quarter of 2020, within the population aged 15-64, the average number of people employed and unemployed in the county was 77 600 and 7 500, respectively. The employment rate was 64.9 %, whereas the unemployment rate was 8.9 %. The level of employment was the fourth lowest in the country, while the unemployment rate was the second highest. Compared to the same period of the previous year, the participation rate of the 15-64 age group decreased. Notwithstanding the increase in the number of unemployed persons, the number of employed persons and inactive persons were both less than the corresponding figures in the fourth quarter of 2019.

According to data from the National Employment Service (NFSZ), the monthly average number of registered jobseekers in Nógrád County was 12 377 in 2020, i.e. 1 503 (13.8%) lower than in 2019. Until July, the number of registered clients grew every month; however, redundancies were constant from August to December. Numbers increased almost every month in 2020 as compared to the previous month. All strata of jobseekers were negatively affected by the epidemiological situation. According to the average figures, the number of certain groups of jobseekers experienced varying degrees of increases over the year.

The average number of registered first-time jobseekers was 1 133 in 2020, 129 persons (12.9 %) more than in 2019. First-time jobseekers accounted for 9.2 % of all registered jobseekers, 1.4 percentage points above the national average.

The majority of young people are unskilled, which puts them at a significant disadvantage on the labour market.

Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County

In 2020, 54 600 vacancies were registered by the district offices in the county, 4 400 (7.4 %) fewer than in 2019. The number of newly created jobs and vacancies in the market sector decreased by 2900 (16 %), while the number of temporary jobs under social workfare schemes decreased by 1500 (3.6 %). The overwhelming majority (39 100; 72 %) of vacancies was available in social schemes, with the remaining 28 % (15 500) on the primary labour market. Due to the large share of workfare schemes, the vast majority (79 %) of jobs advertised did not require any vocational qualification, and the proportion of skilled jobs available remained low (21 %).

The majority of vacancies reported to district offices and available on the public labour market were offered in the services sector (52%, 8000 jobs), while employers in the industrial and construction sector (46%, 7 200 jobs) and agricultural companies (2 %, 330 jobs) accounted for a smaller part of vacancies. Jobs offered in the service sector included mainly vacancies published by technical and catering companies and companies providing administrative services (e.g. temporary work, security and guard services, and facilities operations). Compared to the same period of the previous year, the demand for labour grew significantly in the construction, technical, and assembly industries, while it declined in other sectors, particularly in the manufacturing industry, in catering, as well as in the field of administrative services, transportation, and warehousing. There was demand for skilled workers in all sectors (a total of 7 700 jobs), first of all, in the construction industry; and an increasing number of vacancies was published by companies in the manufacturing industry, trade, scientific, and technical sectors from mid-year. Most of the vacancies targeted shops assistants, welders, locksmiths, as well as plumbers, pipe fitters, structural construction workers, and skilled construction workers. In white-collar occupations, employers were looking for technical professionals (civil, mechanical and electronic engineers, technicians, and IT engineers) and employees with experience in office administration.

From a geographical perspective, the overwhelming majority of the demand on the primary labour market arose in the county’s industrial, administrative and educational centre, i.e. in the Miskolc district (30%) and in one of the centres of the county’s chemical industry, in the Tiszaújváros district (23%).

Heves County

The employment departments of the six district offices in Heves County received notifications of 12 081 vacancies in 2020, 14.3 % (2 014 people) fewer than in 2019. Of the new jobs entered in the register, 80.9 % (9 778) were subsidised, while the remaining 19.1 % (2 303) were non-subsidised positions. Demand for workers in subsidised jobs fell by 769, or 7.3 %, from the base; in particular, the number of workers sought for workfare schemes decreased by 306 (4.8 %).

In 2020, the number of new vacancies for non-subsidised jobs was 2 303. 34.7% (798 people) of all non-subsidised vacancies were advertised for skilled blue-collar workers, 33.6% (773 people) for unskilled workers, 38.5% (295 people) for semi-skilled workers, whereas 19.0% (437 people) were advertised for white-collar workers.

Non-subsidised vacancies included: 106 assembly workers (Gyöngyös 42, Hatvan 51, Eger 13), 171 simple transport and service occupations (Eger 44, Gyöngyös 49, Hatvan 43), 170 metal and electrical industry skilled workers (Eger 34, Gyöngyös 59, Hatvan 41), 398 industrial, construction, agricultural unskilled workers (Eger 53, Gyöngyös 48, Füzesabony 242), 155 wholesale and retail trade and catering skilled workers (Eger 52, Gyöngyös 46, Hatvan 17), 204 cleaners (Gyöngyös 29, Hatvan 109, Eger 32), 85 drivers, mobile machine operators (Eger 41, Gyöngyös 11, Hatvan 11), 166 construction skilled workers (Eger 59, Gyöngyös 30, Heves 49, Hatvan 15), 168 manufacturing machine operators (Hatvan 68), 146 technicians (Hatvan 101, Eger 17), 90 office or administration occupations (Eger 44, Gyöngyös 13, Hatvan 15), 42 food industry skilled workers (Eger 30, Gyöngyös 8). Companies tend not to advise the district employment departments of their demand for workers with higher education qualifications. In 2020, only 18 vacancies were advertised for people with a college or university degree in technical sciences, IT and natural sciences.

Nógrád County

In 2020, in the economic situation altered by the coronavirus pandemic, the majority of businesses were constrained to introduce austerity measures. They tried to survive this critical period by granting employees longer leaves and introducing short-time work. Five employers indicated collective dismissals subject to notification obligation in 2020, which affected 148 people.

Last year’s most significant investment project was completed in the county town, and it will provide long-term employment to at least 200 people.

In 2020, 12 800 vacancies arose in Nógrád County, one-tenth fewer year on year. Most of the decrease in vacancies was related to workfare schemes, but demand in the open labour market also fell. Of all registered new vacancies, 7 200 (56 %) were announced for public service jobs, while the number of vacancies on the primary labour market slightly exceeded 4 500, 54 % of which were also subsidised jobs.

Demand for labour was below the 2019 level in both the production sector (e.g. 1 022 vacancies in manufacturing, 622 in construction) and the sectors of material and non-material services (e.g. 780 vacancies in trade, 362 in transport). Demand grew only in the catering industry, thanks to the support offered after the restrictions were lifted in the summer.

The number of vacancies on the open labour market was highest in the Salgótarján (1 284 people) and Rétság (884 people) areas and lowest in the district of Bátonyterenye (435 people).

More than half of all registered market jobs required a primary degree, 45.8 % was available to persons with a secondary degree, while 2 percent required a higher-education degree.

Employers offered mostly semi-skilled and unskilled work to jobseekers. Among jobs for skilled jobseekers, vacancies were announced mainly in trade and catering (shop assistant, cook, waiter, bartender, confectioner), in the metals and electrical industry (locksmith, welder, machining worker, motor vehicle mechanic and repairer), in construction (bricklayer, electrician, painter and varnisher, plumber and pipe fitter), in services (hairdresser, security guard), in the light industry (dressmaker, sewing worker, cabinet-maker), and for drivers and office administrators.

Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County

The geographical distribution of the county’s population is uneven, a fact that is decisive for the distribution of the available workforce. Most jobseekers live in the administrative centre of the county, Miskolc and its region, amounting to 23.6 % of the county total. The district of Miskolc is part of an industrial region known as the Sajó valley, which includes districts with further significant industrial potential (the regions of Tiszaújváros, Kazincbarcika, Ózd, and Putnok), in which a further 29 % of the county’s jobseekers are registered. 8.6 % of the county’s jobseekers reside in two districts in the southern part of the county, known mostly for their agricultural activity and medicinal waters (Mezőkövesd and Mezőcsát), while 39 % reside in 10 districts in the northern and north-eastern part of the county, which borders Slovakia and includes the Tokaj-Hegyalja area, with an economy based primarily on agriculture and tourism (the areas around the towns of Encs, Edelény, Szikszó, Szerencs, Gönc, Tokaj, Sárospatak, Sátoraljaújhely and Cigánd). The proportion of skilled jobseekers is higher in the towns, industrial centres and in the Tokaj and Sárospatak areas than in other parts of the county.

At the end of December 2020, 84 % of registered jobseekers were looking for blue-collar work and 16 % for white-collar work. The majority of them (62.5 %) held some vocational qualification, while 37.5 % were unskilled. Most skilled jobseekers (25 000) were looking for work in the industrial/construction sector or in trade/catering (21 % each), but a similar number of people (21%) were looking for office administration jobs requiring secondary vocational or higher education qualification.

Heves County

In 2020, the monthly average of registered jobseekers in Heves County was highest in the districts of Eger (3 800), Heves (2 600) and Gyöngyös (2 500). While in the Hatvan, Gyöngyös, Eger and Füzesabony districts the proportion of registered jobseekers to the economically active population was between 8.0 % and 9.0 %, the proportion was 18.7 % in the Heves district.

Most of the jobseekers registered in 2020 looked for the following positions: unskilled worker (3 016), cleaner (1 437), shop assistant (970), assembly line worker (641), office administrator (640), kitchen helper (347), forklift driver (274), heavy truck driver (270), locksmith (147), freight handler (155), security guard (196), bricklayer (159), cook (160), door-keeper, gate-keeper (182), waiter (142), bartender (121), machining worker (115), painter and varnisher (128), baker (48), welder, flame cutter (85) and nanny (114).

Nógrád County

16 800 new jobseekers were registered by the employment departments in 2020, while under 16 000 people managed to find a job. The number of newly registered jobseekers was 3.2% higher, while the number of people who managed to find employment was 4.7% lower than a year before. Fluctuation was less than a year earlier, but its change was negative.

The overwhelming majority of new entrants had lost their job, while a minority registered for other reasons or as first-time jobseekers. The number of redundancies either increased or stagnated in all economic sectors compared to 2019. Most lay-offs were in certain fields of manufacturing, construction and wholesale and retail trade. The return of persons who perform public tasks was continuous, which resulted in similar customer turnover than a year earlier; the influx of first-time jobseekers was less than in 2019.

The occupations most in demand among the unemployed people with a vocational qualification, registered in 2020, were the following: shop assistant, general office administrator, welder, locksmith, cook, security guard, bricklayer, painter and varnisher, and waiter.

In 2020, the employment divisions of Nógrád County district offices registered the most jobseekers (4 300 persons, 34.7 %) in the county seat and its environs and the least in the Rétság District (948 persons, 7.7 %). In the other four districts of the county there was a monthly average of between 1 544 and 1 963 clients in contact with the district labour offices.

Hajdú-Bihar County

Based on a survey of the population conducted by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, 62.9% of the county’s population aged 15–74, i.e. approximately 250 000 people, were economically active in the fourth quarter of 2020. Of these, 236 000 were in employment, 14 000 were unemployed. The number of employed and unemployed persons both increased against the same period of the previous year. The employment rate was 59.5 %, which is 0.9 percentage points higher year on year. The unemployment rate was 5.6 %, representing a decline of 1.7 percentage points. The national employment rate (60.5 %) was higher, and the unemployment rate (4.2 %) lower than the corresponding figures of Hajdú-Bihar County.

The number of jobseekers in Hajdú-Bihar County in the fourth quarter of 2020 (hereinafter: the period under review) was 21 524 on average, which represents an increase of 11.5 % (2 225 people) compared to the average of the fourth quarter of 2019 (hereinafter: the base period).

Nearly one-third of the unemployed people (31.6%) were registered by the Debrecen district office; this figure is 1.9 % lower than during the base period. The number of jobseekers fell in two districts compared to the base period.

In the last three months of 2020, there were on average 11 331 women and 10 193 men among the registered jobseekers in Hajdú-Bihar County; they accounted for 52.6 % and 47.4 % of the total number of jobseekers, respectively. The figures for the base period show a 8.3 % difference between the genders, with 1 597 more women registered. For women, there was an 8.5 % decrease (883 people) in the period under review compared to the average for months 10 to 12 of 2019.

In the period under review, the average number of men increased by 15.2 % (1 342 people) year on year.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, the average number of skilled jobseekers in Hajdú-Bihar County was 14 963, of whom 1 302 held a college or university degree. The number of skilled jobseekers showed an 13.4% increase against the base period, which means that, on average, their number in the registers of the district offices was 1 763 higher. In the period under review, the share of skilled jobseekers with a college or university degree increased by 13.6 % compared to the base period. During this period, there were, on average, 156 more skilled graduate jobseekers registered at the employment departments of the district offices during the period under review.

In the under-25 age group, there were 3 141 jobseekers registered at the district offices during the period under review. Compared to the base period, their number decreased by 281. Compared to the base period, there was a 15.8 % (876 people) increase in the number of unemployed people aged 55 or over in the period under review, when the number of jobseekers aged 55 or over on the registers of the employment departments of district offices averaged 6 438. The average proportion of people under 25 was 14.6 % among the total number of jobseekers, while the average proportion of 55+ exceeded 29 %. The corresponding rates for both age groups were very similar in the previous year (14.8 % and 28.8 %, respectively).

The average number of first-time jobseekers in the county for the period under review was 2 080, which is 5.7 % (112 people) lower than in the base period. The rate of registered first-time jobseekers among all jobseekers was 9.7 % during the period under review, which was 0.5 percentage points lower than in the base period. In the period under review, graduates accounted for 6.4 % of first-time jobseekers (134 people on average). In the base period, the proportion of first-time jobseekers with a college or university degree was 5.9%.

In Hajdú-Bihar County, the number of jobseekers who had been unemployed for more than one year during the period under review increased by 5.5 % (352 people) compared to the base period. 31.6 % of all jobseekers were registered for more than one year during the period under review, which was 1.9 percentage points lower than the figure for the base period. In the period under review, the average number of jobseekers who had been unemployed for more than one year was 6809.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, a total of 7 394 people were registered in the county’s employment registry, 975 fewer than during the same period of the previous year, which represents a decline of 11.7 %. In the case of first-time entrants, a decline of 25.9 % (207 people) was observed compared to the base period. This means that, during the period under review, a total of 591 new entrants were registered by the employment departments of district offices.

Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County

On 1 January 2020, the population of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County was 366 905. This represents a decline of 0.8 % year on year. The quarterly KSH Labour Force Survey indicates that the county’s population aged 15-64 was 230 300 in the fourth quarter of 2020. 167 100 of them were economically active, 1.2 % fewer than in the same period of the previous year. The participation rate (the ratio of economically active people to the population aged 15-64) rose by 0.7 percentage points, thus reaching 72.5%.

In the last quarter of the year, the number of people employed was 154 900, accounting for 67.2% of the population aged 15-64. The employment rate fell by 1.1 percentage points in the county over the year.

The unemployment rate as defined by the KSH increased by 2.4 percentage points compared to the same period of the previous year, standing at 7.3% in the fourth quarter of 2020.

The largest number of people in employment in the county were working in industry, followed by human health and social care activities; education; administration, defence and compulsory social security; trade; and agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

The largest employers in the county, those employing more than 250 workers, are active in the manufacture, assembly or repair of electronic equipment, household appliances and agricultural machinery, and in the production of food products. There are also a number of major employers in the health sector. The Szolnok and Jászberény districts are the most economically developed parts of the county.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, an average of 16 000 jobseekers were registered by the government office in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County. The number increased by 19.6 % compared to the previous year.

Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County

According to the KSH’s figures, the population of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County on 1 January 2020 was 549 000, down nearly 4 000 year on year. That accounted for 5.6 % of the population of Hungary.

Based on the results of the KSH’s quarterly labour force survey, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg

had 259 200 economically active 15–74 year olds out of a total of 418 500 in the fourth quarter of 2020, which is equal to an activity rate of 61.9 %. 235 800 people are employed in total in the county, which is 56.3 % of the county population. There were 23 400 unemployed people, representing an unemployment rate of 9.0 %.

In 2020, the average number of registered jobseekers in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County was 29 695, 4.8 % more than one year before.

For years now, there have been more male than female jobseekers. At county level, the 15 342 men represented 51.7 % of all registered jobseekers, while the average number of female jobseekers was 14 353 in the same period.

As regards educational levels, the average number of jobseekers with at most a primary school education was 15 300, which accounted for more than half of all jobseekers during the period under review. 13 416 jobseekers (45.2 %) had completed secondary school, whereas 983 (3.3 %) had completed higher education. The percentage of the various education levels within jobseekers barely changed. The total number of people with low levels of education decreased by one percent in one year.

The total average of 19 167 jobseekers without professional qualifications (based on classification according to education) was equal to 64.5 % within the total number of jobseekers during the period under review. This percentage value was 1.8 percentage points less than a year earlier.

On average, the 21–25 age group continued to predominate (3 985 people, 13.4 %) in 2020. A larger decrease of 13 % took place among the youngest generation (under 18) and a 28 % increase took place among the oldest generation (over 60).

Most unemployed people (88.2 %, i.e. 26 200 people) had been blue-collar workers and 3 501 had been white-collar workers at their last workplace.

In 2020, an average of 3 583 first-time jobseekers featured in the county’s register, representing 12.1 % among the total number of jobseekers. Of these, 124 had higher education degrees. The total number of young people decreased by one percent in one year, equal to 0.7 percentage points.

In the period under review, an average of 7 070 people had been included in the jobseekers’ register for a longer period, which means that 23.8 % of all registered jobseekers had found no employment for over a year. Their percentage within the total of jobseekers decreased by one percentage point compared to the base period.

In the county, on average more than half of the jobseekers registered in the target period (15 915 people) were provided passive aid under the conditions of law. The majority received social, and a smaller number received job-seeking aid.

Hajdú-Bihar County

In 2020, employers in Hajdú-Bihar County advertised a total of 29 980 new vacancies, which is 1 532 fewer than one year before, representing a decline of 4.9 %. Reported demand for subsidised labour declined by 4.3 % compared to the base period. Therefore, during the period under review, a total of 25 161 subsidised jobs were recorded in the database of the employment departments of district offices.

As for non-subsidised jobs, employers advertised 2 583 fewer jobs than in the base period; thus, there were altogether 4 819 non-subsidised jobs available in the registers of district offices in the period under review. The total number of vacancies in the period under review was 77 747, representing a decrease of 9.1 % on the base period.

48.6 % of registered vacancies (14 580 vacancies) were offered in public administration, defence and the statutory system of social security. The corresponding rate in the previous year was 50.3%.

In 2020, of the various sectors, the percentage of newly registered positions exceeded 5% in the areas of trade and vehicle repairs (9.5 %), accommodation services and trade (6.5%), the manufacturing industry (6.4 %) and the construction industry (5.5 %). In the rest of the sectors, it remained below 3.8%.

Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County

In Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County, a total of 20 600 vacancies were advertised in 2020, nearly one-quarter of them in the area around Szolnok.

Nearly two-thirds of all job opportunities regarded simple unskilled occupations, including 8 300 jobs in transport and services, 3 600 jobs in industry, construction and agriculture, and 1 100 jobs in cleaning. Other vacant positions advertised in significant numbers (at least 100 people) included: footwear manufacturing machine operator, general administrator, other administrator, shop assistant, dressmaker, sewing worker, machine assembler, bricklayer, locksmith, bartender.

Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County

In 2020, a total of 48 256 vacancies were advertised by employers in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County, 89.5 % of which (43 167 vacancies) were targeting unskilled jobseekers. 55 % of the 5 088 positions requiring vocational training required primary,

and 32 % required a secondary vocational qualification requiring a primary education.

In both groups, the advertised positions required mainly qualifications for small and large-scale activities.

The most common positions (at least 50 persons) among positions requiring vocational qualifications: sewing worker, baker, structural metal worker, electrician, engine fitter, welder, cabinet-maker, bricklayer, heavy truck driver, grocery shop assistant, cook, and financial administrator.

Hajdú-Bihar County

The district offices registered 40 591 new jobseekers in Hajdú-Bihar County in 2020. 17.4 % of newly registered jobseekers came from the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector, 6.9 % from manufacturing and 5.4 % from wholesale and retail trade and motor vehicle repair. The occupations most sought after by jobseekers included the following: other simple service and transport occupations not elsewhere classified (code 9239) – 7216 people, shop assistant (code 5113) – 3 623 people, general office administrator (code 4112) – 2 254 people, other cleaner and helper (code 9119) – 1 278 people, and cleaner and helper in offices/institutional cleaner and assistant, hotels and other establishments (code 9112) – 1 174 people.

Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County

During the course of the year, the average number of registered jobseekers was 17 200, over a quarter of whom were registered in the Szolnok district. At the same time, only about 5–6 % of the county’s jobseekers lived in the Mezőtúr and Tiszafüred areas. Their ratio to the working age population is the most favourable in the Jászberény district, while it is the highest in the Kunhegyes district.

Almost half of the jobseekers were looking for simple unskilled jobs, in particular simple service or transport jobs. 16.4 % of jobseekers were looking for employment in the trade and services sectors, with 7.6 % of them seeking a position as shop assistant (this is the most wanted occupation among jobseekers). A slightly smaller proportion of jobseekers were looking for employment in the industrial and in construction sectors as bricklayers, locksmiths, painters and varnishers, and welders, among others.

Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County

In 2020, 52 357 people were entered in the county register of the employment office in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County, 14 % of whom were registered as first-time jobseekers.

More than half of the registered jobseekers were looking for simple unskilled jobs, in particular simple service, transport or similar jobs. The jobs most in demand among jobseekers during the period under review were: other simple service and transport occupations not elsewhere classified; shop assistant; general office administrator; cook; metalworker; bricklayer; heavy truck driver; truck driver; door-keeper; gate-keeper; security guard; other cleaner and helper.

Bács-Kiskun County

In 2020, Bács-Kiskun County was in general characterised by a declining population, decreasing employment and increasing unemployment.

On 1 January 2020, Bács-Kiskun County, the largest county in Hungary, had a population of 502 000, 0.4 % less than a year earlier.

According to the KSH Labour Force Survey, in the fourth quarter of 2020 the number of employed people decreased and the number of unemployed people increased against the fourth quarter of 2019. In the fourth quarter of 2020, 65.2% of the population aged 15–74, i.e. 248 100 people, were economically active in Bács-Kiskun County; this was 0.6 % more than a year earlier. The participation rate was 0.1 percentage points below the national figure. The employment rate was 62.4% and the unemployment rate 4.2%; the former was identical to and the latter was 0.1 percentage point higher than the national average. Based on the KSH’s data, the number of employed persons in Bács-Kiskun County was 94 600 in the fourth quarter of 2020, 5.4 % less than a year earlier. The KSH figures also show that the average monthly gross salary of employed people in the fourth quarter of 2020 was HUF 344 000, representing an increase of 9.4% against the same period of the previous year, yet remaining well below the national average (HUF 60 000 lower). According to data from the KSH, there were 109 000 businesses with their registered head offices in Bács-Kiskun County at the end of December 2020.

Based on the data of the National Employment Service (NFSZ), the average month-end number of registered jobseekers in Bács-Kiskun County was 14 660 in the fourth quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 24.0 percent compared to the same period in the previous year.

Within the group of registered jobseekers, the average monthly number of first-time jobseekers was 1102. The average number of first-time jobseekers increased at a lower rate (11.2 %) than in the same period of 2019.

Békés County

The population of Békés County was 331 000 on 1 January 2020, which is the result of a continuous decline, with an additional fall of 1.0 % (3 300 people) against the previous year.

Based on the KSH Labour Force Survey data for the first quarter of 2020, the economically active population aged 15–74 numbered 156 400, with the participation rate standing at 62.7%. Of the active population, 147 000 people were in employment, while 9 400 were unemployed. In Békés County, the employment rate within the 15–74 age group was 58.9 % at the end of the fourth quarter, which is identical to the value of the same period in the previous year. The number of the unemployed persons that fall in the 15–74 year old category according to the ILO definition amounted to 9 400 persons, which is 1400 (18 %) more than a year earlier.

In 2020, the average month-end number of jobseekers on the register of the National Employment Service (NFSZ) in Békés County was 14 289, representing an increase of 25.3 % compared to the previous year.

This year, 9.4% of jobseekers in Békés County were looking for their first job; their number followed the same trend as the total number of jobseekers, given that the number of young people also showed an increase against the same period of the previous year.

36.5 % of all jobseekers had primary education (8 forms or less), 29.7 % had obtained a qualification at a skilled workers’ training school, another 29.1 % had passed the secondary school leaving examination, and 4.7 % held a college or university degree. Among first-time jobseekers, 33.5% had primary education (8 forms or less) only, while another 16.3 % had a vocational qualification, 45.7 % had passed the secondary school leaving examination, and a further 4.5 % held a college or university degree.

From a geographical perspective, the number of jobseekers was highest in the Békéscsaba (2 889 people), Mezőkovácsháza (2 203 people) and Békés districts (1 973 people). In those areas of the county where the labour market situation is worse, the composition of jobseekers by level of education also tends to be less favourable than the county and national average. Based on the average data for 2020, the increase in the average number of jobseekers against the same period of the previous year was largest in the Orosháza (42.2%) and Gyomaendrőd districts (41.1%).

Csongrád-Csanád County

According to data from the KSH, the population of Csongrád-Csanád County was 398 332 on 1 January 2020, down 0.2 % (680 people) year on year.

According to the Labour Force Survey of the KSH, 62.3 % of the population of the county aged 15–74, or 188 300 people were economically active in 2020. 182 200 were in employment and 6 000 were unemployed. The number of those employed decreased by 1.7%, while the number of unemployed persons jobs increased by 46 % compared to 2019. The increase was greater among the unemployed persons, equal to almost double the national rate. The employment rate exceeded 60% and the unemployment rate rose to 3.2%. Employment in the county was 1.8 percentage points less and the unemployment rate was better than the national average by 0.9 percentage points. Of the population group under review, 114 000 people were economically inactive, representing 0.5 % more than a year earlier.

In the four quarters of 2020, the average gross salary of full-time employees was HUF 338 800 per month, while their average net salary without the family allowance was HUF 225 300 per month. Both gross and net average wages were 9.4 % better than the respective quarters of 2019; as regards the rate of growth, the county is mid-field in the list of counties and Budapest. Wages were 16 % less than the national average and a third less than in Budapest.

As a result of the disadvantageous economic environment caused by the coronavirus, the NFSZ register shows that the number of jobseekers in Csongrád-Csanád County increased by 24 % in 2020. In the period under review, the monthly average number of registered jobseekers in the county exceeded 8 000 (8414), which is 1 635 more than the same average figure one year earlier.

The monthly average number of women on the register increased to 4 467, thus they accounted for 53.1 % of all jobseekers. The number of women on the register rose by 25 %, while that of men by 23 % over the year.

Of all jobseekers, 25.5 % (2 153 people) had primary level education or lower, while 2110 (25 %) had completed a skilled workers training school or a vocational school. 2 155 jobseekers (25.5 %) had completed studies at a secondary vocational school or a technical school, while 1 072 (13 %) had passed the secondary school-leaving examination at a grammar school. In Csongrád County 11% of jobseekers, or 925 people per month on average, held a higher education degree.

The number of registered first-time jobseekers showed a slight increase over the year. In 2020, their average number increased from 636 (in the base period) to 658, which represents a 3.5 % rise. On average, first-time jobseekers accounted for 7.8 % of all registered jobseekers, 1.6 percentage points lower year on year.

Bács-Kiskun County

In 2020, 14 061 new vacancies were registered with the employment departments in Bács-Kiskun County. Not taking into account the vacancies under workfare schemes, employers did not request a subsidy for 57.2 % of their job openings.

Most of the vacancies were full-time jobs, and almost two-thirds of them required no vocational qualification. 28.5 % of vacancies arose in the manufacturing industry. A significant number of simple industrial employees, simple service and transport workers, salespersons, manual packers, general office administrators, meat processors, and simple construction workers were required.

More than a quarter of all vacancies were concentrated in the district of the county town, Kecskemét, but over one thousand vacancies were advertised in the Baja, Kiskunfélegyháza, Kalocsa, and Kiskőrös districts as well.

Békés County

Employers in Békés County reported 23 100 vacancies to the employment departments of district offices in 2020. In geographical terms, most of the advertised vacancies were registered in the Békéscsaba, Gyula, and Szarvas districts.

65.2 % of the advertised vacancies required only a primary education, 33.8 % required a secondary education (typically a secondary vocational qualification), while 1.1 % required a college or university degree.

Most of the announced vacancies were in public administration, defence, compulsory social security; wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, manufacturing industry, accommodation services, catering, and construction sectors. A large proportion of vacancies in public administration were offered under workfare schemes.

Csongrád-Csanád County

In 2020, some 18 600 vacancies were advertised by employers in Csongrád-Csanád County, which was 6% (more than 1 200 people) lower than the demand for workers recorded a year earlier. No subsidy was requested by employers for 36 % of all advertised vacancies, which represented 6 900 jobs in 2020, while the number of subsidised jobs was approximately 11 800. Nearly half of the available vacancies were offered in the area of Szeged, 12.5 % around Makó (2 300) and 12 % around Hódmezővásárhely.

63 % of the vacancies were open to those with primary-level education, whereas 21.5 % required skilled workers’ qualifications, 13 % required a secondary-level education and 2.5 % a higher education degree. Jobs were reported and added to our system at the following rates from the various sectors: 31 % from public administration (workfare schemes), 21 % (4 100) from industry (including construction), 10 % from wholesale and retail trade, and 8 % each from accommodation services and catering, and 4 % each from human health and administrative and service support activities.

In a breakdown per occupation, most of the job openings in the county in 2020 related to the following positions: cleaner, truck driver, shop assistant, office administrator, kitchen helper, bartender, cook, manual packer, other administrator, locksmith, bricklayer, waiter.

Bács-Kiskun County

In 2020, 53.9 % of the registered jobseekers in Bács-Kiskun County were women and 46.1 % were men. The majority (61.3 %) of jobseekers belonged to the 25–54 age group, while 25.7 % of jobseekers were aged 55 or over, and 13.0 % were under 25. The majority of registered jobseekers (57.8 %) had completed secondary school, 36.5% had completed only primary education, while 5.7 % held a college or university degree. Nearly one-third (29.7 %) of registered jobseekers were unskilled. In the period under review, jobseekers registered for longer than a year represented 22.7 %.

In absolute terms, the Kecskemét district had the largest number of jobseekers on record (4 282 people per month on average); however, the average ratio of registered jobseekers to the economically active population was above the county average (6.6 %) in the Jánoshalma, Kunszentmiklós, Kalocsa, Bácsalmás, Kiskunmajsa, and Kiskunhalas districts.

Békés County

In Békés County, a monthly average of 2 100 jobseekers were entered in the unemployment register in 2020. Previously, they had been employed mostly in the sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, trade, motor vehicle repair, public administration, security and the statutory social security system.

In terms of geographical distribution, most registered jobseekers lived in the district of Békéscsaba, the county town. On average, 20.2 % of the county’s registered jobseekers, approximately 2 900 people, lived in this area. Békéscsaba is also one of the county’s key economic potential hubs, so despite having the highest number of jobseekers in the county, the ratio of registered jobseekers to the economically active population remains below the county average. While in 2020 the average rate of jobseekers was 9.0 % in Békés County, in the area of Békéscsaba it was 7.5 %. The lowest number of jobseekers in the county was recorded in the area of Szarvas and Gyomaendrőd, where the average annual number of jobseekers was 792 and 942, respectively. After Békéscsaba, the Mezőkovácsháza and Békés districts had the highest number of registered jobseekers: 2 203 and 1 973, respectively. The ratio of jobseekers to the economically active population was 12.5 % in the Békés area and 13.4 % in the Mezőkovácsháza area. Within the county, the highest ratio of jobseekers was in the Sarkad district (16.3 %).

In 2020, 73.3 % of jobseekers registered in Békés County held some kind of a vocational qualification. The most common qualifications among jobseekers were: cabinet-maker, engine fitter, welder, light machine operator, agricultural machine repairer, dressmaker, painter, varnisher and decorator, grocery shop assistant, confectioner, waiter, cook, catering assistant, shop assistant in stores selling food and chemical products, bodyguard, security guard, social worker, nurse, car mechanic and shop manager.

Csongrád-Csanád County

In Csongrád-Csanád County, there were 26 500 registered jobseekers in 2020, which represents an increase of 11 % (2 600 people) year on year. 45 % (12 000 people) were registered in the Szeged district, 14 % (3 700 people) in the Makó district and 13 % in the Hódmezővásárhely district. 24 % of the newly registered jobseekers had primary education only (8 forms or less) or were skilled workers, 41 % had passed the secondary school-leaving examination, while 11 % held a college or university degree. For the year, women accounted for 52 %, first-time jobseekers accounted for 10 % (2 602 people), while people over 50 years of age accounted for 23 %. In a breakdown per sector, most of the newly registered jobseekers had worked previously in the industrial sector or in trade, accommodation services or catering. The occupations most in demand among newly registered jobseekers included the following: shop assistant, office administrator, cleaner, truck driver, bartender, cook, kitchen helper, waiter, forklift driver, locksmith, manual packer, security guard, painter and varnisher.

Labour market information: Hungary

Short overview of the labour market

Where are the available jobs?

Where are the available workers?

Short overview of the labour market

Where are the available jobs?

Where are the available workers?

Short overview of the labour market

Where are the available jobs?

Where are the available workers?

Short overview of the labour market

Where are the available jobs?

Where are the available workers?

Short overview of the labour market

Where are the available jobs?

Where are the available workers?

Short overview of the labour market

Where are the available jobs?

Where are the available workers?

Short overview of the labour market

Where are the available jobs?

Where are the available workers?

Short overview of the labour market

Where are the available jobs?

Where are the available workers?