Hungary: employment at all costs

In May 2010 when the Fidesz-KDNP won the national elections in the middle of the global economic crisis, it has promised the creation of one million jobs until 2020. 36 months later, pro rata figures cast doubt ass to the government’s ability to achieve that goal.  But the administration is standing by its objective.  After reforming unemployment benefits and the labor market, it has developed programs to subsidize employment.  (Ref.  130306)
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The promise of one million jobs implies the creation of 8,330 new jobs monthly (273 jobs daily) until 2020. To that end, the government implemented a series of measures:

  • Lowering the compulsory educational age from 18 to 16, law 2011.CXC.
  • Terminating the possibility of any kind of early retirement, law 2011. CLXVII. With this measure the government aims to return early retired and partially disabled – who are able to work, diagnosed by an obligatory control, to the labour market by withdrawing
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