Homesick but thriving: What it’s really like for Hungarians working abroad
One in ten Hungarian workers already has experience working abroad, with most taking jobs in Germany, the United Kingdom, Austria, or France. The most common motivation for moving is financial gain, but cultural and language experiences also attract many, according to a recent representative survey of the Hungarian population conducted by Profession.hu.
Half of Hungarians working abroad found their jobs with the help of acquaintances or friends already working there, 16% through headhunting agencies, and 13% were delegated by their employers, but recently the proportion of foreign jobs on the Profession.hu platform has also increased significantly. On average, it took respondents three months to find and start a job abroad. Most of them, seven out of ten, found manual labour jobs, while three out of ten found white-collar jobs.
Money is the most important factor
Financial considerations were the main motivation for workers to take up employment abroad, with 36% citing this as the most important reason. 25% took a job abroad to gain new language and cultural experiences, 13% for professional development opportunities, while 12% wanted better living conditions, and 6% took a job abroad for family reasons. The most popular countries for Hungarians working abroad are Germany (45%), the United Kingdom (16%), Austria (11%) and France (6%).
The biggest challenges
The survey highlighted that emotional factors have a serious impact on those who move abroad: six out of ten workers reported feeling homesick, and only one in five respondents said they had not experienced this feeling at all during their stay abroad. The proportion of those who felt homesick was higher among women and those living in small settlements.
Despite homesickness, integration into the new environment was easier: 62% of respondents said they were able to integrate fully into their new communities, 30% said they had partially succeeded, and only 8% reported significant difficulties in this regard.
Language barriers are also a common problem when working abroad: four out of ten respondents faced this, but almost as many, three out of ten, experienced difficulties in forming human relationships. Two out of ten people indicated that cultural differences posed a challenge. Employees faced financial, housing and administrative problems in similar proportions, with all three occurring at around 15%.
Positive effects
Based on the responses, working abroad has largely been a positive experience for those who left the country, with seven out of ten reporting an improvement in their quality of life compared to before, and half of them reporting a significant improvement. Two out of ten considered their quality of life to be similar to before, while only 2% reported a negative change in their financial situation.
“Based on the results of the survey, money is the main motivation for working abroad, but professional development is also among the three most important factors. Regardless of whether this was their original reason for taking up employment outside Hungary, the respondents were almost unanimous in their opinion that the experience gained in other countries provides a very good opportunity to develop professional skills and, for many, offers new perspectives for their career: eight out of ten respondents said so. Two-thirds of them returned to Hungary to use the knowledge they gained abroad, and 40% plan to work outside the country in the future,” said Blanka Dencső, market research and business development expert at Profession.hu.
Of those who have worked abroad, nearly half (45%) stayed for a few months, while 22% worked outside the country for 1-2 years, 19% for 2-5 years, 12% for 5-10 years, and 3% for more than 10 years.
Read more about Hungarians abroad HERE.
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Such A shame. Those Hungarians abroad are missing the Hungarian golden Age!
Such a shame that people have been brainwashed into believing that material wealth is everything. What’s the point of having more money and buying all the flashy gadgets and going on your vacations if, at the end of the day, you come back to an empty house and go to sleep alone?
Folks in the past had much less but they were happier. Why? Because they got married and had families. THAT is where true wealth lies. THAT is the definition of “success.”
Michael clearly the Fidesz oligarchs in “Bindzsisztan” such as Meszaros and Orban’s son-in-law Tiborcz Istvan have not paid attention to this point of view of yours. They can rape the country blind makung themselves fabulously wealthy while ordinary Hungarians who just want to make a decent living rather than working as slaves for the oligarchs are condemned for going abroad for a better life. Yeah right.
https://www.intellinews.com/hungarian-rapper-s-video-taking-aim-at-viktor-orban-and-corruption-goes-viral-362804/
We again see a commentary, from a “Pseudonym” commentator under the name of Michael Steiner, of which we know all are members of the Fidesz Political Party.
This individual which-ever of the Michael Steiner’s – don’t think its the one married to a Hungarian women, but we again, in the tone of its WRITING the unabashed nor ashamed that Larry refers to, of the “slave labour” – ideas and philosophy that are a “core” practice of there Fidesz Political Party.
This “belief” what has occurred in Hungary in the Orban years as Prime Minister has intensified, that it has had devastating effect on millions of Hungarians, that has “crushed” there dignity and any chance of life, living in prosperity.
Orban, his Fidesz Party, have taken away – “stripped” millions upon millions of Hungarians removed there right of an opinion or any power of influence they if Hungary – was a DEMOCRACY – would be able to function under in the conduct there lives.
Orban and his Fidesz Party – the removal of power from people, transferring in “favouritism” to the Oligarchy, who then have in the Orban years become a – self-appointed elite.
In its distortion, this Orban “ideology” – it has manipulated and distorted the distinctive talents of millions of Hungarians rather than allowing letting the talents of these individuals flourish which has “crushed” within there lives, in the lives of millions of Hungarians living a “progressive” life and of prosperity.
Democracy is defined by our “commitment” to be firstly good and attentive listeners, respectful of “others” opinions.
Democracy through DIALOGUE – facilitates provides the resolving of issues Peacefully.
Freedom, gives you the POWER to act, to write and THINK as one wants.
Liberty , gives a freeness without being oppressive restrictions nor control imposed by an authority as does the Orban led Fidesz Government, that control the media, the judiciary, that “rule by decree” – that WANT to add EDUCATION to there CONTROL, there control of one’s life, of citizen behaviour and Political opinion’s.
Hungary – just look at the cataclysmic DISASTER – by just not the ABUSE of us in our millions but on our country – our LOSS of Respect and Trust that has DELIVERED us, under this Orban led Fidesz Government to a position as a country that “dangles” one foot over a cliff edge, that beneath is a rock covered coast line and an angry “raging” sea, that would PERISH us.
Spring of 2026 – in Solidarity in our MILLIONS – remembering my dear and loved fellow Hungarians ;
“That life is a Garden, blooming with flowers 💐of amazing JOY 😊 – and weathering STORMS of awful Sorrow.”
The “STORM” continues to BATTER us – called Orban and his Fidesz Party – but we WILL never, never, never SURRENDER.