Sándor Bodó, state secretary for employment policy at the Ministry of Finance, said two-thirds of the work permits were issued in the Central Hungary region, where the capital is located.
The total number of foreign nationals with residency permits who were registered by employers stood at around 30,000, Bodó said, adding that 57% of these were registered in Budapest and surrounding Pest County.
“The Hungarian government does not wish to remedy the labor shortage with guest workers, but sees the employment and training of Hungarians as its primary task,” he noted.
Nationals from non-EU countries may fill positions in Hungary only if these jobs cannot be done by Hungarians or citizens of other EU member states, Bodó stressed. The local labor market is protected by a quota on such workers, which businesses are far from utilizing to the full extent, he added.
The number of work permits issued in Hungary to non-EU nationals reached 9,274 in 2017, show the latest annual data from the National Employment Service (NFSZ). Of these, some 5,776 were issued in the capital.
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