The job protection initiatives and the additional childcare support introduced by the Government raised women’s employment ratio in Hungary to 57 percent, the highest ever rate since records of this indicator began in 1992, Mónika Dunai spokesperson for the Fidesz caucus said at a press conference held jointly with Minister of State for Family and Youth Affairs Katalin Novák.

Ms. Dunai said that while during the rule of the left-wing parties families and women with children were disadvantaged by official policies, with women’s employment levels under 50 percent, Fidesz’s policy puts families and children first. She added that Government programmes aimed at promoting women’s employment will continue.

Ms. Novák said that supporting the employment of women with small children and those expecting children is a priority because only this way can they overcome their handicaps in the job market. She said that the most important elements of the Government’s policy in this regard were restoring the three-year childcare support, and introducing the extra childcare support that allows women to still receive support while returning to part-time jobs, as well as the job protection initiative that helped 40,000 women keep their jobs while raising  children. She emphasised that flexible job conditions, support for part-time jobs and the continuous expansion of kindergarten places were further factors helping women’s employment.

(Ministry of Human Capacities)