Debrecen4U
May 26, 2026
Debrecen Companies Warn Guest Worker Ban Could Lead to Labour Shortages and Competitiveness Risks
Following enquiries from Dehir.hu regarding the planned guest worker restrictions, several companies and interest groups connected to the economy of Debrecen and Hajdú-Bihar County shared their views. According to those interviewed, employing workers from third countries is not the primary objective, but in certain industries their presence is currently indispensable for maintaining production and operations.
CATL representatives stressed that recruiting and employing Hungarian workers continues to be the company’s top priority. “Recruiting and employing Hungarian workers remains a priority for us. Our company has already carried out four recruitment campaigns in the Debrecen region, and we are planning to launch further campaigns in the near future,” CATL told Dehir. According to the company, the Debrecen plant currently employs around 1,200 workers, including local and agency staff, and this figure is expected to rise to 2,200 by the end of the year.
The company added that alongside local employees, Chinese specialists are also being employed to support the launch of production at the battery cell factory and to assist in transferring the necessary technological and operational expertise. CATL also highlighted that it intends to rely on local labour in the long term, and to this end has signed cooperation agreements with the University of Debrecen, the University of Miskolc and the Debrecen Vocational Training Centre. Its internship programme is already operational, and dual training programmes are also planned. “We strive for full cooperation with the government and authorities, and fully comply with all regulations. Our goal is to provide attractive employment opportunities and retain our employees in the long term,” the company added.
Ferenc Miklóssy, President of the Hajdú-Bihar County Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also spoke about labour market trends and economic prospects. He expects demographic conditions to fundamentally shape labour market trends. “Unfortunately, Hungary’s demographic situation means that significantly more workers leave the labour market each year than the number of new entrants. This is further complicated by the number of people taking jobs abroad,” Ferenc Miklóssy told Dehir.
According to the chamber president, industrial investments and developments in Debrecen and the county are further increasing labour demand, while digitalisation, automation and robotics are significantly reshaping employment structures. He highlighted that the greatest demand for guest workers currently comes from multinational companies operating in the area, although a positive trend is that high value-added positions are predominantly intended for Hungarian employees. “There are significant labour shortages in the food industry – for example in poultry processing, dairy processing and the meat industry – as well as in certain service and tourism sectors,” he stressed.
Ferenc Miklóssy also noted that as the economy expands, more local businesses may require foreign labour, primarily in unskilled and semi-skilled positions. “If foreign labour were to disappear in several sectors – such as poultry production or dairy processing – production and exports would both have to be significantly reduced,” he said. The chamber president described these workers as motivated, disciplined and eager to adapt to local conditions, while emphasising the importance of strict controls and state supervision. He added that Hungary currently has no significant labour reserve that could be mobilised in the short term. “A large proportion of the identified labour reserve lives in disadvantaged social conditions and is more difficult to motivate towards active employment,” he remarked.
Károly Balogh, County President of the Confederation of Hungarian Business (VOSZ), believes the issue of foreign workers is no longer a theoretical debate but one of the key questions affecting the economy’s ability to function. “The issue of foreign workers is no longer an ideological or political debate, but a practical one. Quite simply, the question is whether the economy can function without foreign workers,” stressed Károly Balogh. In his view, persistent labour shortages are particularly severe in Hajdú-Bihar County, where there are simply not enough domestic workers available for several positions. “Foreign workers are not taking jobs away from Hungarians; they are filling vacant positions. Without them, many companies would not be able to produce at full capacity. This directly affects exports, investments and ultimately existing jobs as well,” he noted.
He believes that a sudden restriction introduced without a transition period could cause serious economic difficulties. “If we suddenly restrict the employment of foreigners now, the result will not be balance but chaos: production will decline, deadlines will be missed and competitiveness will deteriorate,” he said.
Károly Balogh stressed that the primacy of Hungarian workers should not be questioned, but achieving this requires long-term educational and economic policy measures. “The aim is for Hungarians to work in higher-level, better-qualified and better-paid positions. However, this requires time, education and conscious economic policy,” he added.
Hans Peter Kemser, President and Chief Executive of the BMW Manufacturing Hungary, and Péter Bárány, owner and Managing Director of Master Good, also commented to Világgazdaság. While the BMW executive emphasised the importance of international knowledge-sharing, Master Good spoke about the economic pressures and additional costs associated with employing guest workers. “Since employers must cover not only wages but also recruitment costs, accommodation and partly meals, employing guest workers is more expensive, meaning it would be more advantageous for us to employ Hungarian workers,” said Péter Bárány. At the same time, he added that their labour needs currently cannot be met from the domestic labour market, with labour shortages posing particularly serious problems in livestock farming and slaughterhouses.
“As a global company, BMW has always relied on the knowledge accumulated across the group’s various plants through international cooperation,” said Hans Peter Kemser. The president and chief executive of the BMW Manufacturing Hungary pointed out that the Debrecen factory will play a global role through the Neue Klasse programme, making it necessary for employees from different countries to work in Hungary. “It is important for us that colleagues arriving from the BMW network return to their own countries with the knowledge gained here and launch this programme there as well. The expertise enabling the launch of these new vehicles is the result of international cooperation,” added Hans Peter Kemser.
Source and photo credit: dehir.hu
