Hungary’s jobless was 4% at the end of March, unchanged from the previous month, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Friday. The rate covers unemployment among people between the ages of 15 and 74. In absolute terms, there were 195,000 unemployed, 800 fewer than in February.
In January-March, the unemployment rate was at 4.1%, up by 0.3 percentage points from the previous year. The number of jobseekers between the ages of 15-74 rose by 18,000 to 199,000. Meanwhile, the average number of employed persons aged 15-74 in March came to 4.707 million, 19,000 more than the previous year. In the January-March period, the number of employed was 4.696 million, 21,000 more than a year earlier. Commenting on the data, the ministry of economic development noted that the 19,000-strong growth came amid an economic situation plagued by the war in Ukraine and the European Union’s sanctions against Russia. Its statement added that the data showed that government measures were succeeding effectively in protecting jobs, full employment and families. To further reduce unemployment, the government has also launched a scheme in 14 counties to help jobseekers become entrepreneurs, the ministry said.