Beyond pocket money - student work is not what it used to be
You can no longer promise young people an "easy summer job", they don't want to work just for a little pocket money. Students want flexible work, meaningful tasks and fair pay, and companies are increasingly looking at them as future employees. The summer is all about real experience, career building and work experience. In other words, the summer student job market has never been more diverse and challenging. In the 2025 season, wages will rise and social security rules will change.
Who can work as a student and under what conditions?
Under current legislation in Hungary, students can work from the age of 16, but during the summer holidays, students as young as 15 can work with parental consent. Active full-time employment is required, passive students can work up to the age of 25. Graduating students - whether they are graduating from high school or taking a state exam - can work until 31 October with a student card, regardless of whether they continue their studies.
Employment is done through a school cooperative: online registration, filling in a profile and signing a contract. To register, you need an identity card, tax card, social security card, student card (with valid sticker) and your own bank account number. Proof of employment is provided by filling in the attendance sheet, which is also a condition for payment of the salary.
Special rules apply for foreign nationals from third countries: they may work 30 hours per week during the school year and 8 hours per day outside the school year (up to a total of 66 working days).
Specific tax changes
From 1 January 2025, the personal income tax exemption for workers under 25 and mothers under 30 will apply only to citizens of EU/EEA member states, Serbia and Ukraine. Third-country students who were previously exempt from tax are no longer entitled to the benefit.
The average hourly wage of 1800-1900 forints last year has risen to 2100-2200 forints this year. Average wages have increased in line with the increase in the minimum wage to 1672 forints and the guaranteed minimum wage to 2005 forints. In engineering and IT, hourly wages between HUF 2200 and 2500 are typical. Administrative jobs are expected to pay between 1900 and 2100 HUF.
Students are increasingly taking on more hours, which may be linked to inflation and the rising cost of living. Many young people are no longer just earning spending money, but also making a living from it.
Spandan and Spencer
In which fields are students in demand?
There is a huge demand for student jobs in technical and IT fields. Large manufacturing companies, including new car and battery factories, are actively recruiting young people, not for the production line but for support/service areas. The positions available in manufacturing companies for back-office work, finance, HR or IT development require a professional background and are therefore mainly filled by students.
In addition, SSCs (service centres) are also looking for students, especially those who speak foreign languages well, especially in customer service, financial and administrative tasks.
According to the experience of MŰISZ, light manual work or retail positions are less common at the moment, but there are opportunities in fast fashion shops and clothing stores.
Hybrid work: an expectation, not an option
The experience of the COVID period has brought about a long-term change in students' expectations. For office jobs, the vast majority of students now see hybrid working as a default expectation. Some prefer to choose a job with a lower hourly wage but that can be done from home, rather than a higher paid but fully office-based occupation. "Students are motivated by being given meaningful, not exclusively monotonous tasks. They crave responsibility, autonomy and recognition. A good working environment, honest feedback and the opportunity to progress are at least as important as the salary," said Csaba Czimmer, branch manager of MŰISZ School Cooperative.
For physical, logistical and warehouse jobs, where there is no possibility to work from home, companies try to motivate students with higher wages. This has reversed previous trends, with physical jobs now sometimes offering higher wages than many administrative positions.
Why it pays to hire students
"Hiring students through a school union is beneficial for companies for a number of reasons," the expert stressed.
According to Csaba Czimmer, one of the most important arguments is cost-effectiveness: even with the cooperative service fee, it is a much more affordable solution than hiring a full-time employee. In addition, the service fee is tax deductible, making it an economically attractive scheme for employers.
Another big advantage is flexibility. Companies can employ students for short
periods, even for a few days, for example to replace workers on leave, but young workers can also be easily placed for longer periods. Contract conclusion and dismissal are simple, the cooperative takes care of all the labour law administration, and the company only has to certify the hours worked. This can be particularly useful for summer peak periods or project-based tasks.
Large companies are increasingly considering student employment as part of their HR strategy.
"The best students are later taken on to full-time positions, they are the ones who by then know the company processes well and are integrated into the team."
The expert also pointed out that companies hould start recruiting early. In MŰISZ's experience, mobilising a large group (20-30 people) can be done in 1-2 days, but the right selection can take longer, especially in summer when many HR people are on holiday.
The summer season of 2025 brings new expectations and opportunities: wages are rising, work patterns are changing, and young people are more aware than ever. For companies, this is not a burden, but an opportunity.
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