Published on: 27 November 2020

Unemployment rate was 4.3%

In the period of August–October 2020, the average number of unemployed people1 was 202 thousand, and the unemployment rate was 4.3%. Female unemployment rate was higher than male, but there was higher growth among men compared to a year before.In October 2020, the number of unemployed people decreased by 23 thousand to 199 thousand and the unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage point to 4.3% compared to the previous month.

In August–October 20202, compared to a year before:

The number of unemployed people aged 15–74 grew by 39 thousand to 202 thousand and their unemployment rate increased by 0.8 percentage point to 4.3%. Among men, the number of unemployed increased by 24 thousand to 107 thousand and the unemployment rate grew by 0.9 percentage point to 4.2%. In the case of women, the number of unemployed rose by 15 thousand to 95 thousand and the unemployment rate increased by 0.7 percentage point to 4.5%

Among people aged 15–24, the number of the unemployed decreased to 38 thousand and the unemployment rate to 12.2%. Nearly one fifth of the unemployed belonged to this age group. Unemployment rates for people aged 25–54, being in the so-called best working age grew by 0.9 percentage point to 3.9%, and for people aged 55–74 increased by 1.2 percentage points to 3.0%.

The average duration of unemployment was 11 months; 31.4% of unemployed people had been looking for a job for one year or more, i.e. were long-term unemployed.

Unemployment among 15–74* year-olds by age group, August–October 2020

Age group, year-old Number Unemployment rate
thousand persons change, thousand personsa) % change, percentage pointa)
15–2438.1–5.112.2–0.8
25–54139.233.43.90.9
55–7424.910.33.01.2
Total202.238.64.30.8

* 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.

In October3 2020

The average number of unemployed people was 199 thousand, and the unemployment rate was 4.3%

The number of unemployed people increased by 31 thousand and the unemployment rate rose by 0.7 percentage point compared to October 2019.

Compared to the previous month, September, the number of unemployed decreased by 23 thousand and the unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. As the level of employment also decreased, the two groups together increased the number of inactive people by 53 thousand. Mainly the number of those who did not look for work due to the spread of the epidemic and the re-introduced restrictions increased.

At the end of October 2020, 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 increased by 27.9% to 306 thousand.