A quarter of Hungarian businesses plan lay-offs by the end of the year, according to a survey by ManpowerGroup. While half of companies forecast no changes to headcount, only 20% plan new hires, so lay-offs could exceed the latter for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic, the survey found. Lay-offs are mainly expected in the capital and in western Hungary. Headcount may expand in manufacturing while remaining stagnant in banking, insurance and the real estate sector. A decline is expected in raw material production, IT, technology, telecommunication, communication and the media. Also, 39% of hotels and restaurants plan cutbacks, ManpowerGroup said.