Press release, 29.03.2019.
Earnings statistics from new data source
The Hungarian Central Statistical Office (HCSO) shall publish earnings statistics information on the basis of a new data source from the reference period of January 2019 onwards. The use of data from administrative data sources decreases considerably the burden of data supply in a way that comparable data in a continuously expanding breakdown are available.
As of 2019, monthly staff numbers and information on earnings are produced based on declarations on contributions received from the National Tax and Customs Administration; in regard to budgetary institutions, data received from the Hungarian State Treasury are produced and published, in parallel with phasing out the previous monthly data collection on labour. The reception of administrative data is made possible by Act CLV of 2016 on Official Statistics. In case of labour statistics, phasing out the monthly data collection reduced the burden of data supply significantly, to less than half.
The HCSO considers it particularly important that, in line with user needs, users are provided with detailed, reliable information comparable in the long run also in respect of earnings data. Since 1999, earnings statistics in Hungary have referred to enterprises employing at least five persons, all budgetary institutions and non-profit organisations which are significant in respect of employment. In order to preserve this continuity, the HCSO will continue to provide information on this circle in the future, too.
In the case of all used information sets, inclusive earnings data deriving from data collection or data reception, the HCSO examines how the data set can be incorporated into the official statistical system. According to our study, further work is required before the full introduction of the new data source: the HCSO therefore continues to work on improving the quality of handling the declarations which are incomplete or corrected in respect of statistical usability. As a result of all this, publishing detailed information relating to the complete national economy as official statistics will become possible at a later date.
However, the range of data available to users on gross and net earnings so far is not narrowed, in fact, they are available in the same or even more detailed breakdowns. At present, data comparable in the long run still cover enterprises employing at least five persons, all budgetary institutions and non-profit organisations which are significant in respect of employment; this complies with numerous legislations in force. In our data releases, the scope of data of earnings statistics remains so unchanged, allowing users to continue to access previously available contents.
The new data source already provides additional information on earnings, which allows a higher degree of meeting the relevant and wide-ranging user needs. Information not part of earlier HCSO data collections will become available. Thus, in the First release ‘Earnings’ presenting the data of January 2019, information on earnings by sex and age groups is published. In addition, depending on further developments, we plan to publish data in continuously increasing breakdowns.
Information not included in the declarations - such as total labour income, hours worked, detailed regular earnings data - is available quarterly since 2019 from the labour statistics data collections for enterprises employing at least 5 persons, budgetary institutions and not-profit organisations which are significant in respect of employment. So, the first publication of these data, is expected at the end of May.
Hungarian Central Statistical Office
H-1024 Budapest, Keleti Károly u. 5-7. Phone: +36 (1) 345 6000
Postal address: P.O.B. 51 Budapest, H-1525
http://www.ksh.hu