The survey found that 82% of employers expect their workforce to remain stable or expand this year. At the same time, the share of companies expecting a downturn in their economic performance has declined over the past six months.

Overall, the findings suggest cautious optimism in the labor market, with companies favoring stability while keeping expansion options open.

Compared with September last year, fewer employers expect their economic performance to worsen. While 12% of companies anticipated a negative outlook in the autumn survey, only 7% now hold that view.

However, uncertainty about economic prospects has increased sharply. The share of companies unable to assess their economic outlook rose to 18% from 8% six months earlier. Meanwhile, 39% of respondents expect improvements in their economic situation, down five percentage points from the previous survey, while 36% foresee no change.

The results indicate that most companies do not expect significant deterioration in economic conditions, but they are adopting a more cautious wait-and-see approach as uncertainty grows.

Companies also reported less clarity regarding the outlook for their competitors. About 36% said they could not assess how rival firms’ economic situations might evolve, compared with 25% in the previous survey. The increase suggests that predicting market developments has become more difficult, potentially leading firms to take a more cautious approach to strategic planning.

Workforce plans appear more stable than economic expectations, even though some companies have become more uncertain about their hiring decisions.

Uncertainty RIses Slightly

The proportion of companies unsure about their workforce size this year rose to 9% in February from 3% in September. At the same time, fewer employers expect to reduce staff, with that share declining to 10% from 17%.

Meanwhile, 40% of companies expect their headcount to remain largely unchanged, and 42% anticipate growth. Those figures show little change from earlier data, suggesting that despite economic uncertainty, the labor market continues to show signs of stability rather than contraction.

Recruitment budgets and hiring processes are also expected to remain largely unchanged.

According to the survey, 63% of companies plan to keep their human resources budgets at roughly the same level as before, an increase of three percentage points compared with the previous survey.

Job portals remain the primary recruitment tool in Hungary, while free channels such as employee referrals and social media also play a role.

Data from Profession.hu show that the number of active job seekers has declined somewhat this year but remains relatively high.

Most employers also do not expect significant changes in the hiring process itself. About 60% of companies anticipate recruitment timelines similar to those in 2025, while 26% expect hiring procedures to take longer.

Overall, the survey suggests that companies expect relative stability in recruitment activity, although some are preparing for slower selection processes as they monitor economic conditions.