As Ministerial Commissioner Piroska Szalai said, who is responsible for improving the labour prospects of women, it is an outstanding achievement that the number of women in employment has been steadily above 1.8 million for the fourth consecutive month which constitutes an employment rate of 53 percent. In November, of women aged 15-64 years, 1 825 thousand had a job, the best monthly figure ever recorded by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH).

In comparison to the corresponding period of the last year when the previous government was in office, 98 thousand more women are in employment and the employment rate has improved by 3.6 percent. Growth has not been restricted to certain months; it has been continuous since the change of government, she said.

This result is also significant as the employment rate has been declining or stayed flat in several EU countries. In 2009-2012, Hungary achieved the third best employment rate growth figure after Malta and Germany within the EU. In the opinion of Piroska Szalai, women’s employment rate for 2013 will certainly be higher than the 52.1 percent figure of 2012 and the 52.3 percent recorded in 1992. Accordingly, a new record high for the past 22 years was achieved last year. The Ministerial Commissioner said these results have been the consequence of new measures aimed at improving women’s employment.

The Job Protection Action Plan and the updated tax system (which includes family tax allowances and the flat-rate personal income tax) have resulted in real employment growth which is sustainable also in the long term within the private sector as well. In case this trend continues, the Ministerial Commissioner added, the effect of the parental benefit extra will materialize in 2014 and therefore the employment of women with the poorest employment record -- mothers with small children -- will also improve significantly as a new law permits these women as of January to continue to receive parental benefits after taking up a job.

(Ministry for National Economy)