Good news for guest workers: minimum wage may increase significantly in Hungary

An agreement could be reached as early as next week on the raising of the minimum wage for 2026, representatives of unions and employers told MTI after a meeting of the monitoring committee of the VKF, a forum of employers, unions and the government, on Wednesday.

Agreement can be reached soon

László Perlusz, the chief secretary of employers association VOSZ, said “we are in the final days”, there is a very good chance that they will reach an agreement within a week, because the positions are very close.

Without specifying the exact percentages, he said that employers have gone to the limit, so a real wage increase can be expected in both the minimum wage rates of skilled and unskilled workers.

He noted that they had to acknowledge that there would be no lowering of payroll taxes, but added that an eleven-point government package to reduce the tax and administrative burdens of small businesses dose help somewhat.

Next week the deal will be concluded

Imre Palkovics, who heads workers council association MOSZ, said that positions are very close, and an agreement could be concluded as early as next week. The next few days will serve as a time for organisations that are still unsure to clear it with their members, he added.

Palkovics said changes in macro indicators in a three-year wage agreement concluded last year forced the parties to reach a new agreement which will come into effect in 2026.

Minimum wage may increase significantly in Hungary

24.hu reported that the minimum wage could rise by 10-11%, while the guaranteed minimum salary is expected to increase by 7-8% in 2026. This would see the minimum wage in Hungary reaching HUF 320,000–323,000 (EUR 838–842), with the guaranteed minimum wage climbing to HUF 373,000–377,000 (EUR 976–987). According to portfolio.hu, these figures are currently being negotiated.

• Hungary backs off 13% minimum wage hike, eyes more modest increase

Employees previously argued that the 13% minimum wage increase included in last year’s wage rise programme would place an unbearable strain on businesses. This was largely due to the Hungarian economy not growing as anticipated. Instead of the hoped-for 3% GDP growth in 2024, the economy only achieved 1%. If companies were forced to implement a 13% wage hike, it could trigger a wave of bankruptcies across numerous enterprises. For this reason, renegotiating the wage increase programme has become essential, prompting ongoing talks behind closed doors.

Read also:

• Minimum wage in Hungary remains among the lowest in the EU

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