Unemployment rate in Hungary has not been this high in three years

134,000 fewer people were working in Hungary this May than in May 2019. An average of 190,000 people was unemployed between March and May 2020, resulting in a 4.1% unemployment rate. This is a 0.7% increase compared to the previous year. Unemployment has not been this high since 2017 June-September.

Data comes from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office.

Hvg reports that it is important to mention that many people who lost their jobs earlier this year were, for a while, qualified as “economically inactive” and not “unemployed” because they had no chance to look for another job in lockdown actively.

In Hungary, people get unemployed status only if they do not have a job but are actively seeking work and can start as soon as possible. In May, the number of inactive people decreased significantly, as most of those who had previously become unemployed began to look for work after restrictions were lifted actively.