labor costs
February 23, 2010, 09:40 CET
Hungary's prime minister urges tax cuts, competitiveness
Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai on Monday urged the next government to cut taxes and social contributions with an emphasis on reducing labour taxes in order to boost Hungary's economic competitiveness. Addressing the last session of parliament before the April general... [read complete entry]
January 06, 2010, 12:24 CET
Bloomberg: Hungarians just a bunch of work-hating welfare cases
In case anyone out there thinks this website is too harsh in its coverage of Hungary and its various problems, just get a load of this doozy of a story put out by Bloomberg News earlier today. Entitled "Hungarians Shun... [read complete entry]
January 05, 2010, 09:19 CET
Settlement in long dispute over social taxes on wages earned outside of Hungary
The three-year dispute between tax authority APEH and the Construction Industry Company Association (Évosz) has ended with APEH issuing a statement that in Hungary no social contributions should be paid on wages paid to Hungarian employees working abroad for Hungarian... [read complete entry]
December 30, 2009, 10:36 CET
Government to offer new employment incentive
The government will start allowing Hungarians who lose their jobs during the crisis to "take with them" any assistance to an employer that creates a new job, social policy minister Peter Kiss said on Tuesday. Any assistance still due to... [read complete entry]
December 29, 2009, 10:36 CET
FinMin calls for reducing taxes on labor, scrapping local business tax
Hungary's Finance Minister Peter Oszko told MTI that the tax burden on labour should be reduced by further 5 percent and local business tax should be scrapped as soon as Hungary's economy enables this. These would be the most urgent... [read complete entry]
December 15, 2009, 08:55 CET
Employers splash out on holiday gift vouchers as gov't Grinches prepare 98% tax for new year
This year, Hungarian employers are seen expanding their giving of gift vouchers to employees as Christmas bonuses by 10%, writes napiingatlan.hu, based on data collected by Sodexo Pass Hungária Kft. In addition, 8% more employers chose this form of bonus.... [read complete entry]
September 09, 2009, 09:45 CET
Manpower expects further job losses in Hungary
Some 10% of Hungarian employers are planning new hires, but 14% anticipate further dismissals, temporary employment agency Manpower found in its survey. The outlook is worst in west Hungary, while new jobs are expected in Budapest, central and south-west Hungary.... [read complete entry]
July 28, 2009, 09:34 CET
Government says controversial income tax measure constitutional
The provision contained in the government's recently adopted tax package stipulating that personal income tax be calculated on gross wages plus employers' payroll taxes, whose annulment Parliamentary Commissioner for Civil Rights Mate Szabo initiated on Monday, is constitutional, the Finance... [read complete entry]
July 03, 2009, 10:21 CET
Survey finds most Hungarian firms underwhelmed by cuts in labor taxes
Hungarian companies welcome the Bajnai government's steps to reduce taxes on labour, but still think the effect of the measures will be limited, a representative survey of more than a thousand companies by Szonda Ipsos and Lepeselony.hu reveals. Two-thirds of... [read complete entry]
June 30, 2009, 08:26 CET
National Asset Manager moves to cap compensation at state-owned companies
Newly-appointed supervisory and board members of state-owned companies will have their monthly salaries halved and capped at Ft 2 million (approximately €7,300) gross from next month, reports hrportal.hu. The move follows an earlier decision by the Hungarian National Asset Management... [read complete entry]
June 23, 2009, 09:19 CET
Managers of state-owned companies return 2008 bonuses
Managers of state-owned companies have so far returned over 100 million forints (EUR 350,000) from bonuses for 2008, the national asset management company (MNV) told MTI on Monday. With regard to the financial crisis, then Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany called... [read complete entry]
June 18, 2009, 10:04 CET
Government approves 25% tax on "extra-wage" compensation
The government decided at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday to tax extra-wage compensation, such as meal and vacation vouchers, at a rate of 25pc, while eliminating the HUF 400,000 annual limit on the compensation, government spokesman Domokos Szollar said. The... [read complete entry]
May 26, 2009, 09:14 CET
PM says tax package to bring back "honor" to work
Bringing back honour to work is at the centre of the government's 2010 tax package, Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai said in Parliament on Monday. The government wants to tax consumption and assets to a greater degree, countering a reduction in... [read complete entry]
May 22, 2009, 11:39 CET
We were only kidding when we said we didn't like working for western multinationals!
You don't need to commission a survey to know that western multinational firms are unpopular in Hungary. Despite the many thousands of jobs such firms have created in Hungary over the past two decades - many or most of which... [read complete entry]
May 20, 2009, 10:45 CET
Ecostat expects retail sales to fall in autumn as austerity bites
Ecostat sees Hungary's retail turnover stagnating for the next several months before falling again from August with the introduction of new austerity measures, the research arm of the Central Statistics Office (KSH) said in its fresh Mikroszkop report on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
May 19, 2009, 09:47 CET
Inflation-adjusted wages stagnate as public sector pay drops
Gross wages rose 4.3pc in the twelve months to March 2009 and net wages were up 3.3pc, the Central Statistics Office (KSH) said on Tuesday. January-March 2009 gross wages were down 0.3pc and net wages increased 0.2pc from a year... [read complete entry]
May 19, 2009, 08:40 CET
Bajnai pushes for 50% pay cut for board members of state firms
Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai initiated a 50 percent reduction in pay to board members of state-run companies, in parliament on Monday. The prime minister has instructed the state asset management agency to set a cap of 2 million forints (6,965... [read complete entry]
May 15, 2009, 08:13 CET
Parliament to get 2010 tax bill by end of Month
Hungary's government plans to submit to parliament the 2010 tax bill at the end of May and a session devoted to the bill is expected to be held before June 29, Speaker of Parliament Katalin Szili said on Thursday. The... [read complete entry]
May 13, 2009, 10:41 CET
Report finds Hungary's wage taxes second highest in OECD
In 2008 Hungary continued to deduct the second highest labour taxes from employers and employees within the OECD, the Paris-based organisation said in its recent survey disclosed on Tuesday. Belgium topped the list with 56.0 percent, followed by Hungary with... [read complete entry]
April 16, 2009, 10:32 CET
Finance Minister-designate says boosting employment, cutting debt top priorities
Peter Oszko, Hungary's finance minister designate, highlighted boosting employment and cutting state debt as priorities of the incoming government of Gordon Bajnai, at a parliamentary committee hearing on Wednesday.... [read complete entry]
March 30, 2009, 10:30 CET
Government to provide 100,000 public works jobs in '09, minister says
The government will provide jobs for 100,000 people this year under a public works programme, Labour and Welfare Minister Erika Szucs said at a forum in E Hungary on Saturday.... [read complete entry]
March 24, 2009, 07:52 CET
Parliament discusses proposed changes in wage taxation, pensions
Finance Ministry State Secretary Laszlo Keller said at the meeting of Parliament's Employment and Labour Affairs Committee on Monday that the government's plan to modify the tax system would decrease employment taxes as well as the tax wedge.... [read complete entry]
March 23, 2009, 10:11 CET
Trade unions plan demonstration against tax package on April 4
Trade unions are planning a protest against the government’s tax plans on April 4, president of the largest union federation Mszosz Péter Pataky told Népszabadság on Friday.... [read complete entry]
March 23, 2009, 09:36 CET
Employer and labor groups reject government tax, pension packages
Both employers and employees rejected the government's tax package and criticised planned changes to the pension system at a meeting of the National Interest Coordination Council (OET) on Friday. The government submitted to Parliament the package last week.... [read complete entry]
March 19, 2009, 07:14 CET
Government to tighten eligibility for childcare benefits for workers
Hungary's government plans to increase the period a parent is required to have held social insurance before being eligible for childcare benefit, the welfare and labour minister said on Wednesday.... [read complete entry]
March 18, 2009, 08:45 CET
New tax package seen as having little impact on economy
The Hungarian government's latest draft of a tax package contains a tax shuffle which will have only a modest effect on employee incomes this year and will do little to lighten the burdens on businesses, business daily Napi Gazdasag reported... [read complete entry]
March 17, 2009, 09:33 CET
Hungarian labor costs rose faster than European average in 2008
Labor costs in Hungary rose significantly faster last year than in other EU countries, writes hrportal.hu, citing a review of Eurostat labor market data by business daily Világgazdaság.... [read complete entry]
March 17, 2009, 08:40 CET
Hungary remains favorite spot for regional service centers
Hungary is among the most favoured sites for multinationals setting up regional service centres, business daily Vilaggazdasag said on Monday, quoting a PriceWaterhouseCoopers report.... [read complete entry]
March 16, 2009, 08:14 CET
Government submits bill to raise retirement age to 65
The government has submitted a pension bill seeking to gradually raise the age of retirement to 65 years between 2016 and 2027, Social and Labour Minister Erika Szucs told reporters on Friday.... [read complete entry]
February 23, 2009, 08:41 CET
Industry leaders push for bigger payroll tax cut, speedy entry to eurozone
Industry leaders pressed for an 8- to 10-percentage-point comprehensive tax reduction and an accelerated entry into the ERM-2 at a plenary session of the National Interest Coordination Council on Friday.... [read complete entry]
February 20, 2009, 12:29 CET
Gyurcsány urges immediate backing for gov't crisis management plan
Hungary's Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany on Friday urged immediate backing for his anti-crisis measures at a meeting of employer and employee representatives.... [read complete entry]
February 20, 2009, 10:52 CET
Hungary's gross wages rose 7.5% in 2008
Gross wages increased 4.6pc in the twelve months to December and rose 7.5pc in 2008 from 2007, the Central Statistics Office (KSH) said on Friday.... [read complete entry]
February 19, 2009, 10:39 CET
Danish manufacturer Grundfos plans four-day work week at Hungary plants
Danish pump and electric motor maker Grundfos plans to introduce a four-day work week at its three plants in Hungary as orders have fallen 20pc, managing director of Grundfos's Hungarian unit Laszlo Torok said on Thursday when asked by MTI.... [read complete entry]
February 17, 2009, 09:48 CET
Employers' association, labor groups give cautious thumbs-up to tax package
Representatives of employees and employers on Monday agreed with most of the prime minister's proposed tax, welfare and pension changes, but raised concerns about the planned VAT hike.... [read complete entry]
February 16, 2009, 03:55 CET
Gyurcsány outlines tax changes, new projections for economy
Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany on Monday said that the government calculated with a contraction in the economy in 2009 of three percent or more when planning budget amendments.... [read complete entry]
February 13, 2009, 12:24 CET
Hungary's tax system to become more competitive than regional peers, says PM
Hungary's tax system affecting corporations will be the most competitive among the Visegrad Four countries as a result of planned changes, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said on Friday.... [read complete entry]
February 11, 2009, 10:13 CET
Bajnai says lagging competitiveness demands improved incentives for work
Hungary has entered a competitiveness and convergence crisis because its tax system and its employment and social system do not offer enough incentive to work, National Development and Economy Minister Gordon Bajnai said on Tuesday, presenting the Competitiveness Yearbook 2008.... [read complete entry]
February 05, 2009, 03:29 CET
Up to 600 Hungarian victims in crash of German model train company
Another day, another round of horrid news for the Hungarian labor market. Yesterday's big bad story was the bankruptcy of German model train builder Märklin, which was taken over in 2006 by private equity players Kingsbridge Capital and Goldman Sachs,... [read complete entry]
February 03, 2009, 08:41 CET
Labor minister says gov't moves could save 100,000 jobs
The government could preserve 100,000 jobs in Hungary through its HUF 36bn (EUR 122.85bn) crisis-management strategy, Social and Labor Affairs Minister Erika Szucs said on Monday.... [read complete entry]
February 02, 2009, 09:31 CET
PM defends bonus payments to public-sector workers; denies rift with IMF
The government's decision to award compensation to public-sector employees for the scrapped 13th month wage, and using budget reserves to pay for the deal was the right one, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany told public radio in an interview broadcast on... [read complete entry]
January 29, 2009, 11:41 CET
Drive to reconfigure taxes to lower labor costs, raise VAT, Gyurcsány says
Personal income tax and social contributions paid by businesses must be "significantly" cut in order to boost the flagging economy, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said on Thursday during an extraordinary parliamentary session convened to debate the economic crisis.... [read complete entry]
January 26, 2009, 03:07 CET
PM calls for significant cuts in taxes, social contributions
Substantial reductions in Hungary's taxes and contributions are necessary, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said on Monday after meeting with economists.... [read complete entry]
December 15, 2008, 02:51 CET
Representatives of Hungarian employers, unions reach tentative pact on wages
The representatives of employers and employees agreed on a 3-5% nationwide salary offer and a Ft 71,500 monthly minimum salary at a plenary session of the National Interest Reconciliation Council on Friday.... [read complete entry]
December 15, 2008, 02:43 CET
Wizz Air sues Budapest Airport as strike continues
Low cost airline Wizz Air is suing airport manager Budapest Airport for damages caused by the strike at the Ferihegy Airport since Thursday.... [read complete entry]
December 15, 2008, 07:26 CET
Hungary's Liberals propose "fast-track" tax cut package
Hungary's liberals on Sunday announced a set of tax-cut proposals to fast-track aid for companies reeling from the global financial crisis.... [read complete entry]
December 12, 2008, 09:23 CET
Striking unions at Budapest airport turn to German owners
The two unions on strike at Budapest's Ferihegy International Airport for the second day, sent a letter to the facility's German owners on Thursday, seeking remedy.... [read complete entry]
December 11, 2008, 09:57 CET
Manager of Budapest airport refuses talks with unions as strike enters second day
The management of Ferihegy airport will not resume negotiations with striking unions until they return to work, spokesman Domokos Szollár said yesterday as the first day of the work stoppage came to a close.... [read complete entry]
November 24, 2008, 08:47 CET
Unions scale back wage hike demands for 2009
Unions proposed raising the 2009 guideline for the minimum monthly wage to HUF 76,500 for unskilled workers and HUF 95,000 for skilled workers at a meeting of the National Interest Coordination Council (OET) on Friday.... [read complete entry]
November 21, 2008, 03:46 CET
MP says opposition working to keep Hungary's poors from sponging
Leading opposition party Fidesz is refusing to support proposed modifications to the "social law" governing benefits for individuals and families. According to nepszava.hu, Fidesz-Christian Democrat MP Sándor Czomba - who is a member of Parliament's employment and labor committee -... [read complete entry]
November 20, 2008, 08:24 CET
Hungary needs more immigrant workers, ministry expert says
Hungary, a transit country for immigrants, should prepare itself to become a target country in order to boost its labour force, a justice ministry expert told a Budapest conference on Wednesday.... [read complete entry]
November 19, 2008, 12:48 CET
CEOs of Hungarian state firms forced to be charitable with their bonuses
How's this for a screwball executive compensation concept: According to hirszerzo.hu, the Hungarian government is going to force the heads of the company's state-owned firms to spend most of their bonuses for this year and next to plant trees in... [read complete entry]
November 18, 2008, 12:53 CET
Pharma firms top "best workplaces" in Hungary list
Hungary's best workplaces according to this year's Világgazdaság-Hewitt survey were presented awards on November 13. Pharmaceutical companies won in both the large company category (GlaxoSmithKline) and in the SME category (Quintiles Magyarország).... [read complete entry]
November 18, 2008, 12:35 CET
Gross wages in Hungary rise 8.4% year-on-year September
Gross monthly wages in Hungary rose 8.4pc in the twelve months to September, while net wages increased 7.4pc in the period, the Central Statistics Office (KSH) said on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
November 14, 2008, 12:45 CET
Survey finds Hungarians work more than Western Europeans
Hungarian employees work more and under more stressful conditions than their Western European peers, a recent survey covered by national daily Nepszabadsag said on Friday.... [read complete entry]
November 12, 2008, 08:04 CET
Government may propose cuts in payroll tax this week
The government will propose a reduction of payroll taxes and measures to combat corruption, a memo that the prime minister sent to scheduled participants in Thursday's economic summit reveals. The government expects a a lengthy recession according to the document... [read complete entry]
November 04, 2008, 12:59 CET
Hungarian portal employs cutting-edge technology to track employment cuts
With the Hungarian economy likely headed into a deep recession, firms around the country are already starting to trim their headcounts. But since companies are often not so eager to broadcast their miseries, it's a little difficult to keep track... [read complete entry]
October 29, 2008, 08:20 CET
Heads of state-owned firms urged to freeze wages
Kalman Remenyik, who heads Hungary's state-owned National Infrastructure Development Company, urged the heads of several large state-owned companies to freeze wages next year as a show of solidarity with the government, which has proposed freezing public sector wages in 2009.... [read complete entry]
October 20, 2008, 08:43 CET
Gov't, national bank officials outline ways to cope with financial crisis
Government and central bank officials including Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, Finance Minister Janos Veres and National Bank of Hungary Governor Andras Simor, delineated measures to be taken in order to reduce Hungary's risks associated with the current global financial crisis... [read complete entry]
October 20, 2008, 08:26 CET
Hungarian men enjoy 20% larger salaries than women, survey finds
President Zsoka Szabo of the Nok a Holnapert (Women for Tomorrow) Foundation told MTI on Saturday that a recently conducted EU-supported survey of 10,000 men and women working in the public, private and non-profit sectors indicates that the average gross... [read complete entry]
October 17, 2008, 10:43 CET
Gyurcsány says no plan to scrap "bonus" pensions, dims hopes for tax cuts
Hungary's government does not have any plans to scrap the 13th month pension, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said on Friday.... [read complete entry]
October 10, 2008, 08:50 CET
Budaörs leads while BAZ County settlements bring up the rear in purchasing power
Csenyéte (BAZ County) is the poorest settlement in Hungary, while the town of Budaörs (Pest County) is the richest, according to GfK Hungária, which has created the country's purchasing power map for the sixth time. Residents of Csenyéte are able... [read complete entry]
October 10, 2008, 08:16 CET
Financial crisis leads gov't to modify macro targets; unions demand big wage hike
The Finance Ministry is preparing new macro targets for the budget because of the global financial crisis, Finance Minister Janos Veres said at a meeting of the National Interest Coordination Council, a forum for employers, unions and the government, on... [read complete entry]
October 08, 2008, 08:30 CET
APEH sees jump in number of tax returns as economy "whitens"
Last year, 86,000 more private individuals submitted tax returns than in 2006, a result of the "whitening" economy, tax office APEH announced at a recent press conference. According to a report on Napi.hu, income from employment grew nominally by 7%,... [read complete entry]
October 01, 2008, 02:43 CET
Business booms for Hungary's prisoner-staffed companies
Here's a morbidly cheerful little Hungarian HR story for you: According to napi.hu, revenues at state-owned Hungarian firms using prison labor rose to Ft 6.8 billion (€28 million) in 2007. The piece doesn't say how much growth this represents, or... [read complete entry]
September 29, 2008, 08:44 CET
Budapest airport workers threaten strike over planned layoffs
An air transport union has threatened to mount a strike at Budapest's international Ferihegy airport if the airport operator Budapest Airport (BA) goes ahead with its putative staff cuts, the union told MTI on Sunday.... [read complete entry]
September 25, 2008, 12:19 CET
Real wage increase expected as food vouchers gain popularity
Real wages will grow by 6.7% this year, slightly above the rate of inflation, writes Napi.hu, based on a recent survey by Hay Group. The survey found that companies are planning to increase wages by 5.9% in 2009, while inflation... [read complete entry]
September 22, 2008, 12:03 CET
Tighter controls over sick pay seen as key to cutting budget
Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany has staked any future tax cuts on generating revenues through whitening the economy. But savings are also being made by tightening rules on sick pay, business daily Vilaggazdasag said on Monday.... [read complete entry]
September 19, 2008, 04:41 CET
Gyurcsány tells foreign business leaders "moderate" reforms only way forward
Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany told business leaders on Friday that his minority Socialist government would pursue a programme of moderate and continuous reforms rather than shock therapy.... [read complete entry]
September 16, 2008, 07:47 CET
Jump in Hungary's Q2 labor costs twice that of EU27, but lags neighbors
Labour costs in Hungary rose 7.6pc in the second quarter from the same period a year earlier, well over the 3.4 increase for the EU27, but under the rise in many neighbouring countries, fresh figures published by Eurostat show.... [read complete entry]
September 12, 2008, 05:58 CET
Leading economist says gov't tax plan would change little for most Hungarians
Tax changes proposed by the government would do little to change the tax burden for Hungarians, Andras Vertes, head of economic think tank GKI, told MTI.... [read complete entry]
September 11, 2008, 12:38 CET
World Bank study finds Hungary an excellent place to start a failing business
Whenever Hungary is ranked in some global survey the results are always pounced on in the local media (and, if the news is good, by the government) as being oh so important. In the case of the Doing Business 2009... [read complete entry]
September 10, 2008, 08:03 CET
Half-million Hungarians may be shut out of pension system, paper says
Within a couple of decades hundreds of thousands of Hungarians could go without their pensions under the current system because they will not have fulfilled the minimum working period for entitlement, business daily Vilaggazdasag said on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
September 09, 2008, 10:04 CET
Minor minimum wage hike in Slovakia offers maximum humiliation for lagging Magyars
In the latest sign of Hungary's ongoing impoverishment vis-à-vis its once-pitied neighbor to the north, the legal minimum wage in Slovakia is set to surpass that in Hungary as of next January. According to bizdaily vg.hu, Slovak minimum wage slaves... [read complete entry]
September 08, 2008, 05:20 CET
GE plans staff cuts at key Hungarian plant, but says no mass layoffs
General Electric does not plan any mass layoffs at its lighting plant in the Hungarian city of Nagykanizsa, but it will cut staff numbers by 224 by year-end, Nagykanizsa mayor Istvan Marton said at a press conference on Monday.... [read complete entry]
September 08, 2008, 11:45 CET
Survey finds third of Hungarians sick of their jobs - literally
In a local HR survey result that is as unsurprising as it is depressing, a study done by international temporary staffing company Kelly Services finds that every third working Hungarian thinks their job is harmful for their health. According to... [read complete entry]
August 29, 2008, 10:59 CET
Analysts trash Gyurcsány tax package
The prime minister's new tax cut plans will not go very far in its aim of stimulating economic growth and will only benefit a small section of the populace, analysts told business dailies Napi Gazdasag and Vilaggazdasag on Friday. The... [read complete entry]
August 28, 2008, 04:38 CET
Unions, employers' group give cautious support to PM's tax-cut package
The LIGA and MSZOSZ trade unions and the leader of the National Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers (VOSZ) voiced reserved support for the Gyurcsany government's tax-cut package announced on Wednesday.... [read complete entry]
August 27, 2008, 09:23 CET
Gyurcsány outlines Ft 1 trillion tax cut plan
Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany outlined proposals to save taxpayers HUF 1,000bn-1,200bn through tax cuts, reducing red tape drastically and exercising zero tolerance for tax evaders in an article published in Wednesday's issue of daily Nepszabadsag.... [read complete entry]
August 22, 2008, 11:20 CET
Socialists propose program to create more skilled workers
The Socialist Party would improve Hungary's employment statistics by supporting students training to become skilled workers with grants of Ft 20,000 to Ft 30,000 per month starting next year, MP Pál Filló said at a press conference last week. Ildikó... [read complete entry]
August 19, 2008, 12:15 CET
Gross wages up almost 10%; public sector pay still leads
Gross wages in Hungary rose 9.7pc in the twelve months to June, while net wages increased 8.3pc during the period, the Central Statistics Office (KSH) said on Tuesday. Real wages - calculated with 6.7pc inflation in the period - rose... [read complete entry]
August 12, 2008, 11:28 CET
Audit firms to propose massive macro package for Hungary
Hungary's four largest tax firms are expected to come forward with a proposal on Tuesday for tax cuts worth 1,200 billion forints (5.1 billion euros) in upcoming years, national daily Nepszava reported. The proposal would reduce tax centralisation by 4-4.5... [read complete entry]
August 05, 2008, 03:16 CET
Labor standoff hits privatized Eger hospital
Activists resisting the privatisation of Eger's Markhot Ferenc hospital to HospInvest say that as many employees, 721, refuse to work for the company as have accepted employment offers from the investor.... [read complete entry]
July 23, 2008, 09:13 CET
Discussions held over government's social benefit reform plan
The National Interest Reconciliation Council (OÉT) discussed the government's new "Way to Work" social benefits programme yesterday. The government has studied the possibility of launching a "social account", to which benefits would be paid and from which account holders could... [read complete entry]
July 21, 2008, 08:41 CET
Survey finds surge in popularity of non-wage benefits
About 58pc of Hungarian companies reported offering employees non-wage benefits in 2008, compared to 26pc in 2006, according to an Accor Services survey. The Accor Services survey indicated that 18.1pc of Hungarian companies offered their employees non-wage benefits worth between... [read complete entry]
July 18, 2008, 03:13 CET
Tip-hungry Hungarian waiters stew in goulash of gratuity taxes
Taxes on service charges depend on how the service charges are received and distrubuted. [read complete entry]
July 18, 2008, 07:56 CET
Gross wages grow 9.6% in year to May, public sector workers score 13% pay jump
Gross wages in Hungary rose 9.6pc in the twelve months to May, while net wages increased 8.4pc during the period, the Central Statistics Office (KSH) said on Thursday.... [read complete entry]
July 17, 2008, 10:23 CET
Moment of truth arrives for use of lie detectors in job interviews
Ombudsman rules lie detectors cannot be used in job interviews, even though studies show lying is regularly a part of them. [read complete entry]
July 16, 2008, 12:44 CET
Companies hit by German labor crackdown sue Hungarian state
A number of companies are suing the state of Hungary for HUF 2.3bn in damages they allege they suffered because of the state's assistance in a shakedown by German authorities on illegal labourers in Germany, daily Népszabadság reported on Wednesday.... [read complete entry]
July 14, 2008, 03:15 CET
Leaked gov't document bad news for employers, public-sector workers
While many in the Hungarian business community were expecting an easing of the painful burden of employers' contributions sometime next year, an official document unearthed by business daily Világgazdaság says that ministries should make budget appropriations based on an assumption... [read complete entry]
July 11, 2008, 09:32 CET
Survey finds median Hungarian wages 20% of Germany's, but don't bet 100% on it
Via financial portal fn.hu we learn of some interesting data about wage costs as compiled by the Federation of European Employers, including the somewhat stunning "fact" that wages in Hungary are less than one-fifth of those in Germany. According to... [read complete entry]
July 09, 2008, 03:26 CET
Child labor fails to lower Hungarian motorways construction costs
In one of those stories that makes you wonder just how far Hungary is progressing in its efforts to be a "modern" European country, last week the regional newspaper Zalai Hirlap reported that a labor inspection uncovered the stunning fact... [read complete entry]
June 27, 2008, 08:11 CET
Government denies "secret plot" to send pensioners back to work
In a possible development that sounds too sensible to be true in a country where politicians, two years ahead of general elections, are already going out of their way (or minds?) to curry favor with voters, there are whispers of... [read complete entry]
June 12, 2008, 01:17 CET
Unions slam EU decision on extended workweek
Hungarian unions have voiced strong criticism against a decision by European Union ministers earlier this week to allow employees to work more than 48 hours a week. The EU ended a four-year deadlock on Tuesday, agreeing to allow employees to... [read complete entry]
June 04, 2008, 07:59 CET
State audit head gives Hungarian tax system negative review
Changing Hungarians' underground ("kuruc") attitude towards taxation is difficult and will take time, but high taxes are only partially to blame for that, Árpád Kovács, head of Hungary's State Audit Office (ÁSz) said last week, origo.hu reports. Speaking at a... [read complete entry]
June 03, 2008, 11:36 CET
Survey shows Hungarian employees may have reason to think working stinks
While a recent survey by PwC finds Hungarians have poor attitudes about work, a different study may help explain some of the results of the first. According to a summary on Index.hu of the Fourth European Working Conditions Survey, Hungarian... [read complete entry]
June 03, 2008, 11:03 CET
Survey shows Hungarian employees still think working stinks
While employee leasing, the hiring of disadvantaged workers and other "advanced" human resources strategies are increasingly common in the Hungarian business world, a recent survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers indicates employees' fundamental attitude toward work is still a major concern among companies,... [read complete entry]
June 02, 2008, 11:30 CET
Local Deloitte chief hits out at Hungarian welfare, tax systems
Many Hungarians believe that there's no point in taking up jobs legally as long as they can live off welfare benefits and other unreported income instead of registered employment, the head of the local office of professional services group Deloitte... [read complete entry]
June 02, 2008, 09:19 CET
Political players scramble to table empty growth promises
Faced with the conundrum of Hungary's spectacularly poor, but - considering recent tax hikes - not particularly surprising, growth figures, the country's leading politicians and business leaders have been falling over themselves to make proposals they believe will put Hungary... [read complete entry]
May 30, 2008, 11:51 CET
Unemployment drops in Hungary, thanks to a drop in employment
In one of the queerest bits of domestic economic news we've seen in at least the last few weeks, data revealed yesterday shows that Hungary's jobless rate had "dropped" during the period February-April from the previous three months - but... [read complete entry]
May 26, 2008, 11:03 CET
Germans, Austrians may extend "lockout" of Hungarian workers until 2011
While Hungarians are among the least likely peoples of Central and Eastern Europe to look for work in other countries in the EU, the lure of the west may continue to be muted, as two of the most compelling potential... [read complete entry]