Hungary’s average unemployment rate was 11.0pc in the 15-74 age group in May-July, down from 11.1pc in April-June, although still up 1.3 percentage points from a year earlier, the Central Statistics Office (KSH) said on Friday. The number of employed rose for the fourth time in a row after drops registered since August-October last year.
The unemployment rate bottomed out at 7.5pc in the summer of 2008 and rose to peak at 11.8pc in Q1 and February-April this year. The drop slowed in May-July from 0.4 and 0.3 percentage points in the previous two three-month periods.
The jobless rate for the 15-64 age group was 11.1pc in May-July, down from 11.2pc in April-June, in the fourth drop since Q4 2009.
The number of unemployed in the 15-74 age group dropped by 6,100 from April-June to 467,200 and was up by 60,000 from a year earlier.
The number of employed rose by 10,500 from April-June to 3,789,400 in May-July in the 15-74 age group. The number was down 21,600 in one year. The employment rate – the percentage of the population aged 15-74 who are employed – rose to 49.3pc from 49.2pc in the previous three months.
Measured in the 15-64 age group, the number of employed rose now for the fourth three-month period, and was up 9,300 from April-June at 3,757,300 in May-July. The employment rate in this age group was 55.5pc, up from 55.3pc and rising for the fourth time in a row after declining or stagnating from 55.8pc in May-July last year to 54.5pc in Q1 this year.
The participation or activity rate – the percentage of people actively employed or seeking employment – rose now for the fifth month, to 55.4pc from 55.3pc in the previous three-month period for the 15-74 age group, rising for the sixth month in a row to 62.4pc from 62.3pc for those aged between 15-64 years.
16.4pc of the unemployed belong to the 15-24 age group, only present on the labour market to a limited extent, and the unemployment rate for this group was 26.3pc, less than the 26.7pc measured in April-June, but still 0.8 percentage points higher than a year earlier.
The unemployment rate calculated for the most active, 25-54 age group was 10.3pc in May-July, down 0.1 percentage points from April-June and up 1.5 percentage points in one year.
The measures of long-term unemployed still grew, however, with 52.6pc of the unemployed seeking a job for one year or more. The average period of unemployment rose to 18.4 months from 18 months in April-June, and rose 1.7 months from a year earlier.