A gender analysis of Covid-19’s impact on the Hungarian Labor Market

Abstract

Ending of all forms of inequality both within and across nations is a central objective in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by world leaders in 2005. The aim of SDG 5 is achieved gender equality and empower all women and girls by 2030. Whereas SDG 10.2 has the aim to empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective sex or other demographic characteristics. After a century of impressive progress in women's political and economic empowerment at the global level, overall economic opportunities for women still lag behind men. Empirical evidence indicates that women are more disadvantaged than men in labour markets across the world in terms of unemployment rates, labour force participation, employment vulnerability as well as segregation in jobs and economic sectors. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted men and women in the labour market different using Hungary as a case study. Based on a gender analysis of monthly labour market data before and during the first year of the pandemic (2015)(2016)(2017)(2018)(2019)(2020), the study finds that females were more adversely affected in terms of labour market outcomes such as employment rates and unemployment rates. For instance, in all age brackets males had higher employment rates than males. Also, the employment rates for females during the first year of the pandemic was lower than the previous year.

Green and Digital Transitions

“…The neoclassical approach contends that full employment is typical and that labor markets are inherently fair and efficient. Contrarily, the opponentsthe radical and institutionalists likened to Marxism, Post-Keynesianism, Feminism, and the segmented labor market theorycontend that the market structure is essentially unjust, with unemployment serving as the norm (Acheampong, 2021;Grimshaw et al, 2017).…”

“…The fourth step was to make HUF 2,000 billion worth of discounted, treasury direct loans to Hungarian firms, while the fifth plan, named the "Family and Pensioner Protection Program," was to progressively reinstate 13th-month pensions (The Hungarian Government, 2020). The goal of all these government initiatives in Hungary was to lessen the negative effects that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the country's job market (Acheampong, 2021).…”

“…Moreover, to avoid interruptions to the workforce, the United Kingdom specifically permitted nurseries and early childcare facilities to keep open (PizzinelliShibata, 2023). In Hungary, Acheampong (2021) analyzed gendered COVID-19 impacts on the Hungarian labor market, depicting only the descriptive statistics of the gender gap. The study revealed that females were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of employment and unemployment rates.…”

The Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Unemployment In Slovakia and Hungary

“…Aidukaite et al (2021) documented and compared the social policies (extensive protection for jobs and enterprises) that the governments of Hungary, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia implemented to combat the first wave of Covid-19 pandemic. Acheampong (2021) investigated whether the coronavirus epidemic impacted men and women in the Hungarian labor market differently. Svabova et al (2021) examined the impact of anti-pandemic measures on the development of the registered unemployment rate in Slovakia.…”