Hungary jobless rate 6.1 pc in December-February

Budapest, March 29 (MTI) – Hungary’s average unemployment rate was 6.1 percent during the period of December-February, down from 6.2 percent in the previous three-month period, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Tuesday.

The number of unemployed was 275,100 in December-February. The number of employed stood at 4,241,400, KSH said.

Excluding Hungarians in fostered work programmes and those working abroad, 62,000 jobs were added during the period, KSH noted. The number of fostered workers rose by 45,000 and those working abroad increased by 10,000.

The average time spent looking for work was 19.2 months during the period. About 50.0 percent of the unemployed had been seeking a job for one year or more.

There were 3,003,800 economically inactive Hungarians — those neither employed nor seeking work — during the period, down from 3,081,900 a year earlier.

The data are calculated in line with International Labour Organisation standards and include people with all forms of employment contracts who have worked more than one hour a week during the period or are on sick leave or paid absence. The data also include those employed in public work schemes and those working abroad for less than one year.

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters