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Pensioners could plug the labor shortage gap in Hungary

Hungarians aged between 60 and 70 years of age are prepared to work flexible hours to improve the labor situation in the country.

A survey has found that around one-fifth of Hungarian pensioners, about half a million, are willing to take a job. 

Economic research institute GKI conducted a survey in June 2018 to assess how recent government measures to encourage pensioners to return to the labor market could help alleviate the labor shortage in Hungary. 

According to the figures, there are about 2.5 million pensioners in Hungary that could theoretically provide an addition of hundreds of thousands to the labor force, especially if employers offered flexible work placements. 

From those surveyed, more than half would be willing to take a part-time job, one quarter would work flexible hours, 10 percent would conduct telework, only 10 percent would take a full-time job. A majority are aged between 60 and 70 years of age. 

Government measures to attract pensioners to work included the introduction of the so-called pensioner cooperatives in 2017.

From 2019, employing pensioners will be exempt from taxes except for the personal income tax.