HR Trends 2025: Hungarian labor market and HR outlook

Business growth prospects

Half of the companies surveyed expect net sales to increase in 2025, which is a 5 percentage point increase compared to last year. However, the proportion of those expecting a decrease in sales has decreased from 12% to 9%. At the regional level, Hungarian companies are more optimistic than their Czech and Romanian counterparts: while 50% in Hungary expect growth, 43% in Romania and only 29% in the Czech Republic.

Significant differences can be observed between sectors. FMCG, HORECA and logistics are expected to perform exceptionally well, while IT and financial sectors are more likely to stagnate. The automotive and construction industries are also experiencing difficult times, although there is some optimism in the latter.

Labor market trends and challenges

30% of companies plan to increase their workforce, while 10% plan to lay off workers, and 13% do not plan to replace those who leave. The most sought-after jobs include manufacturing workers, engineers, salespeople and IT specialists.

The biggest recruitment challenges are unrealistic salary expectations, followed by a lack of relevant experience and language skills. A new challenge is the decline in home office opportunities, which is a critical factor for many candidates when choosing a job.

Hiring foreign workers remains a divisive issue. Although there is a high rate of emigration in the Hungarian labor market, many companies would avoid involving foreign workers, which could lead to labor shortages in certain sectors.