Before 1968 the labor force was generally tied to the workplace. The government restricted job changes and prohibited moving to a new city without permission. In the 1980s, however, the annual labor turnover rate averaged about 23 percent, or about 1 million job changes each year, mostly in low-paying, seasoÍÍÍÍnal, and unskilled positions. Although the government had lifted legal restrictions, relocation to another city was unusual because Hungary had a housing shortage.

Data as of September 1989