Nearly two-thirds of Hungarian SMEs plan to raise salaries in the next 12 months

According to the statement, about a third of the surveyed company managers believe that salaries will remain unchanged and only one percent of respondents indicated that salaries will decrease in the next 12 months.

They also drew attention to the fact that the popularity of using fringe benefits among Hungarian SMEs has increased by six percentage points, with 46 percent of small and medium-sized enterprises supplementing their employees’ salaries in this way. The most common benefits include bonuses and the thirteenth monthly salary, as well as the SZÉP card and commuting support.

Every fifth company gives its employees a bonus, while 15 percent of companies use the SZÉP card. When it comes to commuting support, the research distinguishes between legally required support and support provided by the company’s own decision, with the former provided by 14 percent of companies and the latter by 8 percent.

The statement quoted Ildikó Oraveczné Németh, marketing manager for the retail and SME segment at K&H, as saying that it would be worthwhile for SME managers to review their salary policies in the coming months.

She justified this by saying that the European Union’s wage transparency regulation will come into effect in 2026, so everyone will know what salary ranges are available in a given position. In order to maintain their competitiveness, it is important for employers to assess their own position in the labor market and adjust wages accordingly in-house.

The quarterly K&H SME Confidence Index, which has been continuously prepared since 2004, is currently compiled by surveying business decision-makers from 400 companies headquartered in Hungary with annual sales of less than 2 billion forints.