The “Geography of Recession” research programme of the Institute for Economic and Enterprise Research (HCCI IEER), set the aim of analyzing the economic crisis from a regional point of view. Within this framework we provide detailed analyses on the changes of regional differences in the field of unemployment, layoffs and labour market quitting since the beginning of the economic crisis.

According to the latest figures, the amelioration that had started on the labour market in the first half year continued in the second half of 2010, although the degree of the improvement was very low. From May 2010 the registry showed relatively fewer job-seekers every month than in the previous year. On the basis of the survey of Hungarian Central Statistical Office it can be stated that though the number of employed increased and the number of unemployed decreased in the second half of 2010, these changes still do not mean a real breakthrough.

The regions of the north-western segment of the country having a more favourable economic position remained the winners of the upturn. In the micro-regions concentrating the export-oriented processing industry, the former downturn turned to a dynamic improvement. On the contrary, in the more backward southern and eastern regions the tendencies of unemployment have taken again an unfavourable turn in the winter months. Signs of any positive change are not discernible in the suburbia of the capital either: the number and the rate of job seekers is still increasing, though the rate does not even reach half of the national average. It seems that the capital’s labour market gives a belated response to cyclical fluctuations in the boom period as well.