Unemployment rate decreased to 3.9%
In the period of January–March 2018, the average number of unemployed people was 178 thousand, 29 thousand fewer than a year earlier, and the unemployment rate decreased by 0.7 percentage point to 3.9%. The unemployment rate was lower for men than for women, and the rate of improvement was also higher for them.
In January–March 2018, compared to a year before:
The number of the unemployed among 15–74 year-old men decreased by 21 thousand to 88 thousand, and their unemployment rate by 0.9 percentage point to 3.5%. Regarding women, the rate of change was smaller, the number of the unemployed declined by 8 thousand to 90 thousand, and the unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage point to 4.3%.
The number of the unemployed among people aged 15–24 changed within the limits of the sampling error, and was 33 thousand, while their unemployment rate was 10.4%. Nearly one-fifth of the unemployed belonged to this age group. The unemployment rate of the age group 25–54, i.e. persons belonging to the ‘best working age’ and that of people aged 55–74 decreased as well, by 0.4 percentage point to 3.6% in the former and by 1.8 percentage points to 2.3% in the latter age group.
The average duration of unemployment decreased to 16.4 months; 39.8% of unemployed people had been searching for a job for one year or more, i.e. were long-term unemployed.
The unemployment rate of people aged 15–74 increased slightly in Southern Transdanubia, Central Transdanubia and Budapest, but these changes were within the limits of the sampling error. In the other regions of Hungary, the unemployment decreased, significant changes occurred in Northern Hungary and in Northern Great Plain. Although the rate fell by 1.9 percentage points in both regions, they were even so higher than the national average, 4.9% and 6.6%, respectively. The unemployment rate was the highest, 6.9%, in Southern Transdanubia, while the lowest, 1.8%, in Western Transdanubia.
At the end of March 2018, compared to a year earlier:
According to the administrative data of the National Employment Service (http://eu.munka.hu/), the total number of registered jobseekers decreased by 18.9% to 285 thousand.
Unemployment among 15–74* year-olds by age groups, January–March 2018
| Age group, year-old | Number | Unemployment rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| thousand persons | change, thousand personsa) | % | change, percentage pointa) | |
| 15–24 | 33.0 | –1.3 | 10.4 | 0.1 |
| 25–54 | 127.5 | –14.4 | 3.6 | –0.4 |
| 55–74 | 17.4 | –13.1 | 2.3 | –1.8 |
| Total | 177.9 | –28.8 | 3.9 | –0.7 |
* Data of the 15–64 age group are available (2.1.0.2. STADAT-table).
a) Compared to the same period of the previous year.