Half of Hungarian Parents Expect their Children to Work Abroad – Survey

• By Veronika Gulyas

Almost half of all Hungarian parents believe their children could be tempted to seek work abroad as the country continues to struggle against high unemployment in the 15 to 24 age range, according to a new poll.

The survey by Jobline, one of Hungary’s largest job advertisement websites, found that many families expect their offspring to be employed outside Hungary for an average one-to-two years.

The prospect of earning higher wages abroad or facing unemployment at home continues to lure the country’s youngsters to West European countries and elsewhere.

Those moving abroad can expect to earn much more than in Hungary. Jobline head Gabor Toldi told the Wall Street Journal that West European youngsters who move abroad do so for other reasons than the need to find a well-paid job.

“This is a sorry phenomenon as it compares to [a motivation for] learning languages or discovering another culture for citizens of some Western European countries,” he said.

The parents of children who leave school with only basic qualifications were more likely to expect their children to move abroad than those of academic high achievers.

more: WallStreetJournal