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Employers mirror this gloom: 65% express similar pessimism (up from 55% last year), with 17% completely non-optimistic, according to research by Hays.
In 2025, 47% of surveyed employers had increased staff numbers, 28% had reduced headcount, and 20% saw no change. For 2026, 48% plan growth and 27% stagnation, and they prioritize hires in technical/digital skills, full-time roles, operations, and support functions. Plans to increase salaries are moderate: 41% of employers target raises of 2.5–5% next year, 34% aim for 6–10%, and 10% expect wage stagnation.
In 2025, workers re ceived more than 10% hikes at just 23% of firms (compared to 36% in 2024 and 46% in 2023), with 25% getting 6–10% and 24% 2.5–5%, often due to company-wide adjustments, inflation, job switches, or promotions. Most respondents (55%) earn HUF 600,000–1.2 million gross monthly; 32.5% exceed HUF 1.2 mln, yet 57.5% feel underpaid relative to their responsibilities.
As for 2026, 31% anticipate 2.5–5% raises, 18.5% hope for more than 10%. Some 67% of respondents work overtime weekly, but most report no compensation for after-hours availability; more than half experience it occasionally, and 26% frequently.
The Hays Hungary Salary Guide 2026 survey was based on 4,229 participants in Hungary (65% workers, 35% employers/managers), up 36% from last year.
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