The source of data is the monthly institutional labour statistics data collection system. As of 2019, monthly data concerning the number of employees and gross wages are taken over from the social security reports provided by the National Tax and Customs Administration, while for budgetary institutions statistics are produced from the data of the central payroll system provided by the Hungarian State Treasury.
The change in the data source introduced in 2019 has implied that in certain cases and breakdowns the data are only comparable to a limited extent with the data previously published under the same name.
From January 2023, the scope of reference of data, unless otherwise stated, includes the whole circle of employers (that is, the whole circle of enterprises employing employees, non-profit organisations and budgetary institutions). Until December 2022, the traditional scope of reference for HCSO’s dissemination of data on earnings statistics included enterprises employing at least 5 persons, all budgetary institutions as well as non-profit organisations that are significant in terms of employment; we replaced the data for the period 2019-2022 with the new, wider scope of reference on 28 March 2023. However, we continue to publish our main indicators for the traditional scope of reference, too.
In May 2025, concurrently with the publication of the data for March 2025, we carried out a major revision of the data for January 2019 to March 2025, replacing the data between the two periods.
Gross earnings are the total of all earnings: basic wages and other wage elements paid under different titles to employees (additional payments, payments for days not worked, bonuses, premiums, 13th month and additional month salary). Basic wages include personal income tax, health insurance, pension and labour market contributions (as of July 2020 together with social security contribution).
Regular gross earnings is the difference of gross earnings and non-regular earnings elements such as bonuses, premiums, 13th month and additional month salary. As of 2019, monthly regular earnings are partly calculated by statistical estimation. (See statistical documentation.)
Net earnings (with tax benefits) derive from gross earnings by subtracting personal income tax, health insurance, pension and labour market contributions (as of July 2020 together with social security contribution) and adding any specifically named tax and social security benefits and allowances. The calculation of net earnings with tax benefits is made possible by the introduction of new administrative data sources into earnings statistics in 2019.
Average earnings are the ratio of nominal gross earnings and the average number of employees in a given staff category. The data published in the First releases are on a monthly basis and refer to persons employed full-time.
Average earnings index: traditionally, HCSO publishes the main average index as an indicator of earnings growth, which expresses the percentage change compared to the same period of the previous year. The rate of change in earnings thus reflects the shift in the employment rates between the two periods combined with the impact of the actual change in earnings.
Median earnings: are the middle earnings value that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount in a given staff group. Reported data refer to monthly averages (including data for cumulative periods) and full-time employees unless. For cumulative periods, the median is the median of the monthly payments; monthly earnings data are not aggregated by job or individual before the median value is calculated.
Real earnings index: the ratio of growth in net earnings and the consumer price index. The index is calculated from net earnings after discounts.
The methodology and methodological differences are described in more detail in the statistical documentation.