Orbán: Demographic policies key to curing labour shortages

Budapest (MTI) – Demographic and family policies are the key to tackling Hungary’s labour shortages, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Friday.

The country is in need of more children and stronger families because if more children are born, more people can join the workforce, Orbán told. But this approach is not supported in Europe, where immigration and migrants are seen as the cure to labour shortages, he said.

Asked about speculation on a reduction in payroll taxes, Orbán said such a cut is a policy “instrument” that would need to “fit into the long-term plan”. Orbán said Hungary’s wage growth is paired with improved competitiveness, lower unemployment and economic growth.

He said Hungary had the fifth lowest unemployment rate in Europe at around 5 percent. This result is “fantastic”, as it is down from around 12 percent in 2010, he added. “It is not at all inconceivable that every Hungarian who wants to work should have a job,” he said.

Orbán praised Hungary’s eight gold medals and Olympic performance in Rio and said promoting sports and youth sports is important. He said young people in Hungary should engage in some kind of sports activity on a daily basis. To meet this aim a plan stretching 12-15 years is needed, which takes into account demographic changes, and harmonises the physical education system at schools with the needs of competition sports clubs, as well as financial issues.

On Hungary’s Olympic bid for 2024, Orbán said chances to win were “meagre” as three “Goliaths” were in competition: Paris, Rome and Los Angeles. But Hungary does have some pluses on its side, like the fact that it is the only country out of the ten most successful ones in Olympic history which has never hosted the Games. He said organising the Olympics would have “enormous economic benefits”.

Source: MTI