HOW TO FIND A JOB IN BUDAPEST
Hungary is not currently considered a particularly popular country among labor migrants, but the capital Budapest is an exception. It is a political, financial and cultural center, which generates up to 50% of the state's GDP and the capital's economy continues to develop dynamically. Jobs in Budapest for foreigners in 2024 is an opportunity to move to one of the most beautiful and largest cities in the European Union.
When planning employment in Budapest, be aware that the Danube River divides the city into two parts – Buda on the west bank, where most of the residential areas, and Pest on the east bank, where mostly commercial enterprises and boils business life. Below we look at the specifics of labor migration, job search, current vacancies, and salaries in Budapest in 2024.
Labor migration to Budapest
The population of Budapest in 2024 is about 1.8 million people. About 85% of the locals are ethnic Hungarians. Other nationalities are represented mainly by Italians, Germans, Slovaks, Romanians, Croats and Ukrainians. The capital of Hungary is a very colorful city with a great history and cultural heritage that attracts millions of tourists from all over the world. By the way, in this area creates a huge number of jobs, including those available to applicants from abroad.
Budapest's economy is based on trade, finance, high technology, art, fashion, research, education and entertainment. In addition, the Hungarian capital has the highest position in Central and Eastern Europe in the ranking of the best innovative cities. The biotechnological and pharmaceutical industry is intensively developing. In many of the above-mentioned areas there are vacancies in Budapest for foreigners.
More modest wages compared to other European capitals, which offer local employers specialists from abroad, partly offset by a reasonable cost of living in Budapest. It is a fairly clean, quiet and comfortable city with good infrastructure and a mild climate. The unemployment rate in the country, including the capital, is about 3-4%. Quite a decent figure for the European Union, for example, given the problems in the labor market in Spain or Italy.
Local authorities are interested in maximum employment of Hungarian citizens, so with few exceptions only absence of applicants for a job among Hungarians and Europeans (minimum 15 days) entitles applicants from third countries to official employment in Budapest. Moreover, a legal job in Hungary means looking for a job beforehand, signing a contract, getting a work permit, applying for a work visa and a residence permit in Hungary.
How to find a job. Jobs and wages in Budapest in 2024.
The main obstacle in finding a job in Budapest is related to the language barrier. The official language in Hungary is Hungarian; English and German are widely spoken. You also need to have enough qualifications, experience and skills that are scarce for the local labor market. Not every employer in Budapest is ready to take the risks associated with hiring a foreigner. The competitive advantage must be obvious.
Popular job search sites in Budapest
budapestjobs.net
jobsinbudapest.eu
profession.hu
For a successful job search in Budapest, use all available sources of information and ways – from communicating with migrant workers on forums and social media, to visiting the Hungarian capital as a tourist. Look through advertisements in local newspapers and search for job openings on specialized Internet sites. Write a well-written, concise resume and cover letter. Write job offers directly to large employers.
The capital of Hungary has a huge number of representative offices of well-known international companies. For example Bosch, Microsoft, IBM, General Motors, Exxon Mobil, British Petrol, Nissan, Volvo, Saab, Ford and many others. Current vacancies in Budapest in 2024 for applicants from third countries are qualified engineers, programmers and financiers. Sometimes drivers and handymen are needed, but in general it is very difficult to find a legal job without qualifications.
Since 2004, Hungary is part of the European Union. Despite this, the level of wages for local workers is still one of the lowest in the union. For example, the official minimum wage in Hungary in 2024 is 266,800 forints or 695 euros per month, and for skilled workers 326,000 forints (850 euros). The average wage in Budapest in 2024 is about 900-1,000 euros before taxes. Nevertheless, skilled foreign workers can expect much higher salaries, in excess of 1,200-1,500 euros.
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