State of Hiring & Recruitment in Hungary 2026

Employment & Workforce Overview

80%+

RecordEmployment rate for aged 20–64 — among the highest in the EU (Eurostat 2024)

4.62M

KSH 2026Total employed persons in Hungary as of Q1 2026 (down 5.5K YoY)

4.9%

RisingUnemployment rate in Dec–Feb 2026 — highest since April–June 2016

235.7K

Feb 2026Total unemployed persons in Hungary (up 11.9K year-on-year)

13.2%

Feb 2026Youth unemployment rate (15–24) — down from 14% in January 2026

12.2mo

Long-termAverage time spent looking for a job (Nov–Jan 2026)

35.8%

StructuralShare of unemployed who have been out of work for 12+ months

37.1%

Short-termShare of unemployed seeking work for fewer than 3 months

Wages & Compensation

HUF 840K

Record HighAverage gross monthly wage in January 2026 (+26.3% YoY — fastest since Feb 2022)

HUF 789K

Dec 2025Gross average wage in December 2025 (HUF 548,900 net, +9.8% YoY)

9.8%

Full YearAverage gross wage growth for the whole of 2025

6.3%

Real GainsNet real earnings growth YoY at end-2025 — highest of the year

HUF 322.8K

Min. WageMinimum gross monthly wage from 1 January 2026 (+11% increase)

HUF 373.2K

Skilled Min.Guaranteed minimum wage (skilled) from 1 January 2026 (+7%)

~10%

ForecastAverage annual wage growth expected for 2026 (ING Think forecast)

17.8%

Gender GapGender pay gap — among highest in EU (EU average: 12%) — Amnesty / Eurostat

🏭 Major FDI Projects Reshaping Hungary's Labour Market

€7.3B

CATL Battery Gigafactory
Debrecen — 9,000 jobs

€4.0B

BYD EV Assembly Plant
Szeged — 3,000+ jobs

€2.0B

BMW iFactory
Debrecen — 1,500 jobs

Labour Shortages & Job Vacancies

~65K

KSH / OrbánJob vacancies nationwide in September 2025 (stated by PM Orbán in Dec 2025)

69,152

Peak 2025Unfilled vacancies recorded in March 2025 — one of the highest in recent years

30,000

IT CrisisSoftware developer positions currently unfilled in Hungary (Edstellar 2026)

16,000

EducationTeacher shortage in Hungary — especially acute in STEM and rural areas

1-in-3

ServicesEvery third service provider struggles with labour shortages (GKI 2025)

104,600

Spring 2025Foreign nationals employed in Hungary — up 2,100 YoY (GKI Research 2025)

35,000

2026 QuotaGovernment guest-worker permit quota maintained at 35,000 for 2026

2.4%

Vacancy RateJob vacancy rate in industry, construction & services (2023) — near EU27 average

Tech, IT & Digital Economy

180K

ICT WorkersICT sector employs ~180,000 professionals (3.9% of total workforce) in Hungary

$800M

IT OutsourcingIT outsourcing market value in 2025 — projected to reach $1.16B by 2029

9.8%

IT CAGRProjected CAGR for Hungary's IT outsourcing market (2025–2029)

1,500+

StartupsHungary's innovation ecosystem has 1,500+ startups with combined valuation of $2.6B

6.7%

Digital EconomyDigital economy's contribution to Hungary's gross value added (N-iX 2025)

EU RankingHungary ranks 5th in the IT Competitiveness Index (Future of IT Report)

Recruitment Trends & Workforce Dynamics

35%

Hiring IntentHungarian employers planning to expand their workforce in 2025 (RED Recruitment)

515

AgenciesEmployment placement agencies in Hungary in 2026 (IBISWorld)

€124.9M

Market SizeEmployment placement agencies industry market size in Hungary (2026)

7.5%

Remote WorkShare of employed persons working remotely (~350,000 people) — EURES 2024

1/3

Skill MismatchOECD: ~1/3 of Hungarian workers are over- or under-qualified for their roles

24%

Top SectorManufacturing employs 24% of Hungarian workforce — largest single sector

20,000

Brain DrainNet migration loss of 20,000 people in 2023 alone — mostly skilled workers

142K

DemographicDecline in working-age population since mid-2022 (ING Think Jan 2026)

Healthcare & Sector-Specific Highlights

3.5/1K

DoctorsDoctors per 1,000 population — below EU average of 3.9 (Euronews / WHO 2023)

6.6/1K

NursesNurses per 1,000 population — vs EU avg 8.5, Germany 13 (Hungary Today 2022)

~500/yr

Emigration~500 nurses apply annually for certificates to work abroad (IntechOpen Research)

9.1%

2025 AvgGender employment gap — 9.1% in Hungary (Eurostat Dec 2023 / Trading Economics)

The State of Hiring & Recruitmentin Hungary 2026

🏭 Major FDI Projects Reshaping Hungary's Labour Market

The State of Hiring & Recruitment
in Hungary 2026