According to data of Q2 2014 compiled by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), the number of women who returned to work after they had received maternity benefits and childcare allowance or had been stay-home mothers was up by 37 percent year-on-year, former Ministerial Commissioner Piroska Szalai, responsible for improving the labour market prospects of women, announced in a press release.

The significant increase is an obvious proof that the Government has been on the right track and measures aiming to assist mothers with small children are effective, she said. Piroska Szalai stressed that since 2013 under the Job Protection Action Plan employers have been exempt from paying contributions or it has provided contribution allowances in case they hire mothers who have been receiving maternity benefits or childcare allowance. In addition, since January 2014 – thanks to childcare allowance extra – parents are allowed to unlimited work and concurrently receive maternity benefits and childcare allowance.

In light of statistics, in Q2 2014 the employment rate of women reached the outstanding figure of 55.7 percent and thus the number of women in employment was 1 million 878 thousand – up by 92 thousand year-on-year.

Within this increase, the growth rate of mothers with small children returning to work was 14 percent. In the second quarter of this year, there were 46 256 women in employment who had formerly been considered as statistically inactive as they had received maternity benefits, childcare allowance or had been stay-home mothers. This figure is 37 percent or 12 460 higher in comparison to the corresponding period of 2013.

(Ministry for National Economy)