Twenty years ago, in 1994, the United Nations established 15 May as the International Day of Families to focus attention on families, the most essential component of every society.

Over the past two years, the Government has introduced several measures aimed at assisting families. The first sweeping step was the introduction of family tax allowances for children – effective as of 2011 – which acknowledges the value of the work required to raise a child. This step was followed by the introduction of the new Labour Code, which created a framework for a more flexible and family-friendly labour market. Last but not least, in January 2013 the Job protection Action Plan entered into force, enabling employers to apply tax deductions and thus encouraging them to hire a greater number of mothers with small children. Research polls indicate that in Hungary fewer and fewer people are either family- or work-focused: they instead aspire to reconcile these two fields. Emphasis has also shifted recently; financial safety has gained increased significance compared to the pre-crisis period prior to 2008, and families consider it a far larger risk if only one adult of working age has a job. More opportunities had to be provided for those with small children who were eager to quickly return to work, regardless of whether to a full-time job or only for 2-3 days a week, but also for those who opt to stay at home with their children.

Ministerial Commissioner of the Ministry for National Economy Piroska Szalai, as the officer responsible for improving the labour market prospects of women, played a key role in formulating and implementing these measures. As a result of her efforts, the Government has succeeded in achieving tangible results, as women’s employment indicators have at last begun to show improvement after stagnating since 2003.

Success was already perceptible in 2012: the women’s employment rate reached a 20-year peak and last year 190 thousand mothers of young children – under the age of 6 – were employed in Hungary, a figure which is 15 thousand higher than one year before.

Parallel to the number of women with small children, the employment rate for mothers whose youngest children are 6-11 years old was also higher. Furthermore, the number of women within this category with 1 or 2 children already exceeds the EU average.

In addition, more than three-quarters of mothers whose youngest child is over the age of 12 years have a job. The employment rate for this category is 4.1 percent higher than the EU average; this segment has become a driving force of the Hungarian labour market.

The improvement of women’s employment is closely related to the financial security of families, something which the Government also intends to provide accentuated support for in the future: under the current economic conditions, the family model with two bread-winners deserves even more attention.

(Ministry for National Economy)