Women’s employment rate grew considerably in the past ten years in Hungary
EnglishEnsuring equal opportunity and the necessary legal conditions for as many women as possible to be present in the labour market is a vital task for the government in Hungary, Sándor Bodó said at a meeting of the ministers of employment and social affairs.
The Secretary of State for Employment Policy of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology stated that owing to the measures taken so far, the employment rate of women has increased considerably:
while in 2010 only about half of the female population in the 15-64 age group were working, last year almost two-thirds of them had a job.
Similarly to other member states, a significant part of the difference between the presence of women and men in the labour market in Hungary is due to the lower employment rate of mothers with small children. The government provides scholarships to motivate young mothers to participate in training, and helps them enter the labour market through skills and competence development programmes, tax breaks, entrepreneurship support and wage subsidies.
The epidemic situation in Hungary has also drawn attention to the fact that we must try to reduce the burden on women raising young children. One way to do this is to increase the availability and appreciation of childcare and nursing care services. Increasing the number of nursery places will also facilitate the participation of young mothers in the labour market, and, if necessary, even financial support can be granted to parents of young children to help with childcare
Sándor Bodó explained.
He added that since 2010, the government has been determined to improve the quality of life of Hungarian families by building a work- and knowledge-based society rather than by providing aid. Within the framework of the Job Protection Action Plan, which encourages the employment of groups with a low employment rate, support for parents with small children is also being implemented.
The Hungarian labour law also provides an opportunity for women to work part-time up until their child turns 4, or in the case of large families until the youngest child reaches the age of 6. This way, government measures make it much easier for as many young mothers as possible to have a job in Hungary.
