Published on: 29 April 2019

Unemployment rate was 3.6%

In the period of January–March 2019, the average number of unemployed people was 166 thousand, and the unemployment rate was 3.6%. Among men, the unemployment stagnated, but the indicators of women improved.

In January–March 2019, compared to a year before:

The number of the unemployed among 15–74 year-old men was 90 thousand and the unemployment rate 3.5%. Regarding women, the number of the unemployed declined by 14 thousand to 76 thousand, and the unemployment rate by 0.7 percentage point to 3.6%.

Among people aged 15–24, the number of the unemployed grew to 36 thousand and their unemployment rate to 11.2%. More than 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’, was 3.1%, and that of people aged 55–74 was 2.3%.

The average duration of unemployment was 13.9 months; 37.6% of unemployed people had been searching for a job for one year or more, i.e. were long-term unemployed.

The unemployment rate was the lowest in Western Transdanubia and Central Transdanubia, at 2.1% and 2.2% respectively, and the highest in Northern Great Plain, at 6.5%.

At the end of March 2019, 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 2.0% to 279 thousand.

Unemployment among 15–74* year-olds by age groups, January–March 2019

Age group, year-old Number Unemployment rate
thousand persons change, thousand personsa) % change, percentage pointa)
15–2436.03.011.20.8
25–54111.7–15.73.1–0.5
55–7418.00.52.30.0
Total165.7–12.23.6–0.3

* 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.