Published on: 30 January 2019

Unemployment rate decreased to 3.6%

In the period of October–December 2018, the average number of unemployed people was 167 thousand, 8 thousand fewer than a year earlier, and the unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage point to 3.6%. Among men a little growth occurred, while the indicators of women improved.
The annual average number of the unemployed was 172 thousand in 2018, 20 thousand fewer than in 2017. The unemployment rate was 3.7%, 0.4 percentage point lower than in the previous year.

In October–December 2018, compared to a year before:

The number of the unemployed and the unemployment rate among 15–74 year-old men increased within the limits of sampling error, the former by 7 thousand to 90 thousand, and the latter by 0.2 percentage point to 3.5%. Regarding women, both indicators declined, the number of the unemployed by 15 thousand to 77 thousand, and the unemployment rate by 0.7 percentage point to 3.7%.

Among people aged 15–24, the unemployment essentially didn’t change, their number was 34 thousand, and their unemployment rate was 10.1%. 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 to 3.2%, while that of people aged 55–74 essentially did not change, and was 2.6%.

The average duration of unemployment was 14.8 months; 39.1% 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 decreased by 1.0 percentage point in Southern Transdanubia and Northern Hungary, and by 0.6 percentage point in Western Transdanubia, while in the other regions, the changes remained within the limits of sampling error. The unemployment rate was the highest in Northern Great Plain (6.7%) and the lowest in Western Transdanubia (2.2%).

At the end of December 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 5.0% to 242 thousand.

Unemployment among 15–74* year-olds by age groups, October–December 2018

Age group, year-old Number Unemployment rate
thousand persons change, thousand personsa) % change, percentage pointa)
15–2434.0–0.610.1–0.1
25–54112.5–9.03.2–0.3
55–7420.71.62.60.1
Total167.2–8.03.6–0.2

* 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 January–December 2018, compared to a year before:

The number of the 15–74 year-old unemployed decreased by 20 thousand to 172 thousand, and the unemployment rate diminished by 0.4 percentage point to 3.7%.

The number of the unemployed among 15–74 year-old men decreased by 8 thousand to 88 thousand, and their unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage point to 3.5%. The unemployment indicators of women declined to a greater extent than that of men; their number fell by 12 thousand to 84 thousand, and their unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage point to 4.0%.

The unemployment rate among young people decreased by 0.5 percentage point to 10.2% and that of those aged 25–54 by 0.3 percentage point to 3.4%. The most significant change occurred among people aged 55–74, their rate declined by 1.0 percentage point to 2.4%.