Serious unemployment threatens some Hungarian counties again

In the first quarter of 2023, unemployment rose or hardly changed in most counties compared to the same period of the previous year, according to a publication of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH).

• The largest increase was in Bács-Kiskun county, where the rate rose by 2 percentage points.
• At the same time, the traditionally high unemployment rate in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county fell by 1.5 percentage points, which was accompanied by an improvement in employment.
• Unemployment remained highest in Nógrád county, with a rate of 8.7%.
• The unemployment rate in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county is 8%, with Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén and Somogy just behind with 7.8% each.

Unemployment rates remain at or below 2% in the more developed parts of the country, indicating that these areas are experiencing a substantial labour shortage.

The national average number of unemployed people was 199,000, and the U-rate was 4.1% among 15-74 year olds. The number of unemployed increased by 18,000 and the unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points compared to the same period in 2022.

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