Where is the economic flying start? Number of jobseekers stuck in Hungary

The jobless rate in Hungary for people between the ages of 15 and 74 stood at 4.5pc in February, data released by the Central Statistics Office (KSH) on Friday show.

In absolute terms, there were 220,000 unemployed. The number of employed reached 4,682,000 in February, practically level with the number a year earlier.

For the period December-February, the average number of employed reached 4,689,000. The number of people employed on the primary market stood at 4,526,000. The number of Hungarians working abroad reached 101,000 and the number of people in fostered work programmes was 62,000.

The employment rate for the 15-64 age group stood at 75.0pc. Data from the National Employment Service (NFSZ) show there were 232,000 registered jobseekers at the end of February, down 1.3pc from twelve months earlier.

Jobseekers spent 12.6 months, on average, looking for work, but 42pc of the jobless found new positions in under three months. The percentage of jobless who had been looking for work for at least one year reached 37pc.

Commenting on the fresh data, Sandor Czomba, the state secretary for employment policy, said the number of employed was “outstanding”, while the jobless rate remained under the European Union average. The number of registered jobseekers is at a low not seen since the change of system, he added.

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