Workers’ wage demands and company wage increase plans are becoming increasingly distant from each other

The survey conducted among more than 400 domestic corporate decision-makers reveals that

• domestic companies are more cautious, but still fundamentally optimistic about 2026: 44% of companies expect revenue growth, while barely 10% expect a decline;
• in a regional comparison, domestic companies are the most optimistic: the proportion of those expecting revenue growth is lower in both the Czech and Romanian markets, and uncertainty is extremely high in addition;
• Wage costs remain the biggest business challenge, while increasing productivity and efficiency are also receiving increasing emphasis;
• Only 26% of companies plan to expand staff, 12% to lay off, while 17% will not replace departing employees;
• In 2026, the most sought-after jobs will be in IT, engineering and technology, while demand for production and logistics positions is decreasing;
• unrealistic salary expectations are a bigger problem than ever during recruitment, and the weight of lack of experience has also increased;
• the In solving HR challenges, companies are increasingly thinking about training, education and the introduction of IT/AI systems
• In 2026, 97% of companies plan to increase wages, however, the rate of increase will decrease further as inflationary pressure decreases;
• No significant change is expected in the field of home office, the two-day model remains dominant;
• The use of AI is entering a new era in Hungary as well: 37% are already actively supporting and expanding the application of artificial intelligence, while trust in the technology is growing.

More cautious business expectations, a more balanced picture

Domestic companies are looking at 2026 with cautious optimism: 44% expect their revenue to increase, while 35% expect stable revenue. Only one tenth of companies expect their revenue to decrease, which is almost the same as last year (9%).

69% of those expecting growth expect an expansion of 4–10%, meaning moderate, sustainable growth remains the most typical scenario. At the same time, 11% are uncertain, which indicates that the economic outlook in some sectors remains unclear.

However, in a regional comparison, Hungarian companies have the most favorable expectations. In Romania, only a third of companies and in the Czech Republic less than two-fifths expect their sales to increase in 2026 – although in the latter market they still exceed the 2025 value. In Romania, the proportion of those expecting growth decreased by 9% compared to 2025, these companies strengthen the camp of those expecting revenue stabilization, which increased by almost the same amount. The proportion of those who are uncertain is extremely high in both markets, double the domestic value, although the number of those who do not know what to expect in 2026 has also increased somewhat in our country. This may even indicate that domestic companies are more advanced in adapting to the economic shocks of recent years, and although caution has increased, planning is taking place on a more predictable path than in some parts of the region.

In terms of sector breakdown, FMCG, the service sector and life sciences are the most optimistic, while more restrained expectations are typical among the automotive industry and business service centers (BSS). In the manufacturing industry, the proportion of those expecting growth is stable, but caution has increased.

“To a lesser extent, the food industry, and to an accelerating extent, the service sector and the pharmaceutical industry are expecting rising sales. From a macroeconomic perspective, it is good news that the business service sector and IT may once again be the leaders in staff growth. The significance of this is that they are largely export-oriented industries, and average salaries significantly exceed the national average”

– pointed out Baja Sándor, CEO of Randstad Hungary.

High wage pressure, rising costs, focus on efficiency

Among the business challenges, wage costs continue to represent the greatest structural burden: companies 70% of respondents list this as one of their biggest challenges. However, the 2026 responses show that the focus is increasingly shifting to the overall cost structure and risks affecting the revenue side. Rising operating costs are identified as a challenge by significantly more people than in 2025 (52% compared to 46%), but their share has increased most markedly