The re-ignition of economies might turn into a struggle for guest labour

According to some statistics, in the past five to six years, the number of guest workers working in Hungary have significantly grown, In some sectors, guest workers were the only viable option instead of shutting down. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic that struck the world unprepared, many guest workers were stuck in their own countries unable to work. But as countries are reopening and the economy is starting to swing back up, a huge competition for workforce is expected.

There is the general belief among working people that guest workers take the job from Hungarians, but that is simply not true. It is quite the opposite. There have been entire sectors where the labour shortage was such a serious issue, that its operation was endangered, says Piacesprofit. There is nothing wrong with guest labour, but it should be adequately controlled and entirely transparent.

Csongor Juhász, the executive director of Prohuman, Hungary’s largest HR provider said that the current upsurge of labour is just the surface. He says that many people who have changed professions from services and the catering industry will, with the reopening of the country, go back to their original professions and in turn that will cause another labour shortage in some sectors.

There are already not enough workforce in sectors like the food industry, processing industry and in some commercial areas.

The above-mentioned re-distribution of the workforce will effect these sectors more severely and according to the professionals at Prohuman, that will cause a huge competition between Hungary and the surrounding countries looking for guest labour. In the Czech Republic, about 15% of the labour force are guest workers.