Published on: 27 September 2018

Unemployment rate decreased to 3.7%

In the period of June–August 2018, the average number of unemployed people was 173 thousand, 22 thousand fewer than a year earlier, and the unemployment rate decreased by 0.5 percentage point to 3.7%. Although the degree of improvement was higher for women, their unemployment rate exceeded that of men.

In June–August 2018, compared to a year before:

The number of the unemployed among 15–74 year-old men decreased by 8 thousand to 86 thousand, and their unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage point to 3.4%. Regarding women, the rate of change was higher, the number of the unemployed declined by 14 thousand to 87 thousand, and the unemployment rate by 0.7 percentage point to 4.1%.

Among people aged 15–24, the number of the unemployed decreased by 6 thousand to 34 thousand, and their unemployment rate was 10.2%. 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’ decreased by 0.3 percentage point to 3.4%, and that of people aged 55–74 by 0.8 percentage point to 2.6%.

The average duration of unemployment was 15.9 months; 41.0% of unemployed people had been searching for a job for one year or more, i.e. were long-term unemployed.

At the end of August 2018, compared to a year earlier:

According to the administrative data of the National Employment Service (https://nfsz.munka.hu/), the total number of registered jobseekers decreased by 6.7% to 251 thousand.

Unemployment among 15–74* year-olds by age groups, June–August 2018

Age group, year-old Number Unemployment rate
thousand persons change, thousand personsa) % change, percentage pointa)
15–2433.9–5.810.2–1.2
25–54119.4–10.73.4–0.3
55–7419.9–5.82.6–0.8
Total173.1–22.33.7–0.5

* 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.