Budapest sees huge labor shortage of cleaners

The monthly minimum cleaners can earn is around an average of HUF 110,000, while those who can cope with a heavier workload can even take home as much as HUF 180,000-200,000 a month on average, Rendi has found.

Rendi, a Hungarian mobile application connecting cleaners with households needing cleaning service, says demand for cleaners is so big that they conduct interviews with applicants on a daily basis. Rendi, which was kickstarted with five people and now operates with 100 cleaners, says that its revenues last year were boosted 20-fold, reaching HUF 65 million.

Citing its database, Rendi says that almost half of all cleaners do their job in a secondary position, earning HUF 80,000-100,000. 

As far as the demography of those doing the work is concerned, it appears to be quite mixed. “Beyond active age workers in more positions, young mothers staying home with their children and the elderly complementing their pensions above the age of 60 are appearing among the cleaners,” says Szabolcs Udvardy, marketing manager of Rendi.

The company stresses that it employs cleaners who are individual entrepreneurs in the KATA system, which means that they are able to invoice and pay HUF 50,000 taxes after themselves on a monthly basis, or HUF 25,000 in secondary positions. “It is difficult to reform decades of bad traditions, we often meet cleaners who do not believe that it is possible to earn well while going on the record,” Udvardy says, referring to black employment.

Rendi conducted the research online and via phone calls, through its own employees, recording the answers of 111 cleaners between February 20-28. The research is not representative, Rendi admits, however, it believes it can nevertheless be considered a good reference point.