Despite layoffs because of the coronavirus pandemic, state-owned companies are still facing labour shortage issues, daily Magyar Nemzet said. Companies like MÁV, Magyar Posta or Volánbusz have not launched mass recruitment campaigns because the virus is making organising these more difficult. However the police, the military and prison institutes have launched such campaigns recently.
Melinda Mészáros, who chairs unions association Liga, told the paper the unions have already told representatives of the government that a constantly updated database for jobseekers about vacancies at state-owned companies would be useful. The suggestion was met with openness from the government, she said, adding that up till this point 60 companies compiled a list of vacancies which could be put into the database. The unions agree that labour shortages could persist at state-owned companies as staffing levels are generally low, many employees are getting close to retirement age and measures to fight the coronavirus are slowing down training programmes.