During the last three years more than 100,000 Hungarian women have opted for early retirement after 40 years of work regardless of their age, Minister of State for Social and Family Affairs Miklós Soltész said at a press conference on Thursday.

Mr. Soltész said the Government introduced this option at the beginning of 2011 and the large number of women choosing it confirms that it was a good decision: the numbers were 48,000 in 2011, 29,000 in 2012 and 25,000 in 2013.

This preferential treatment will continue, the Minister of State said, adding that some 2,000 women a month are expected to choose early retirement this year.

Mr. Soltész said that the Government will also help those women who have less than a year’s work missing, are over 55 years of age and are currently unemployed to qualify for this option. The Government launched a preferential project for these women last November, whereby those employers who offer jobs to women falling in this category will receive a state subsidy of up to 125 percent of the minimum wage. As of 1 January this year, that amounts to 147,500 forints (EUR 492) per month.

József Mészáros, head of the National General Directorate for Pensions said that the preferential programme, called “women 40”, has since become a well-established and successful part of the country’s pension system. He reminded the press that the time spent raising children also counts as working time.

(Ministry of Human Resources)