Debrecen4U July 4, 2025

Press Release: CATL’s investment in Debrecen

In the past week, telex.hu has published a second article regarding CATL’s investment in Debrecen. In response to this second article, the Municipality of Debrecen has issued the following statement:

The Municipality of Debrecen monitors all economic processes taking place in the city to ensure they serve the interests of local employment, the filling of newly created jobs, and the development of both the Hungarian and Debrecen economies. In recent years, Debrecen’s economy has shown the most dynamic growth in the country, with numerous new factories built and thousands of new jobs filled—predominantly by Hungarian workers. Labour data from the government office clearly and indisputably support this.

In the past week, telex.hu has published a second article about CATL’s investment in Debrecen. The company has refuted the claims made in both articles. Regarding the latest article, which concerns workforce reductions, CATL has made it clear that no mass layoffs have occurred, and there are no plans to reduce the proportion of domestic labour.

The Municipality of Debrecen expects every company settling in the city to employ qualified Hungarian workers whenever available. This principle has been fully upheld in the thousands of new jobs that have been filled so far, with new companies in Debrecen demonstrating full cooperation. Continuing this practice is clearly in the city’s interest, as it contributes to a growing population of skilled, employed residents. The legislation also provides legal guarantees for this process: foreign workers may only be employed if there is no suitably qualified Hungarian labour available. The Municipality of Debrecen expects CATL to fully comply with this regulation, as it forms the basis for future cooperation and collaboration. To promote this cooperation, we are initiating a comprehensive labour market inspection at the company through the Hajdú-Bihar County Government Office to clarify the situation.

The city leadership maintains contact with both the government office and CATL’s management. According to consistent information, the company has not halted its recruitment activities in Hungary; in fact, it has requested expansion into neighbouring counties—directly contradicting claims made in the telex.hu article. Naturally, building a workforce of several thousand employees involves both arrivals and departures. Every Hungarian worker is essential to Debrecen! Retaining them is both a goal and a realistic opportunity thanks to the new jobs, and both the government office and the municipality provide appropriate support for filling these positions.

Debrecen, July 3, 2025

Source: debrecen.hu | Photo credit: Facebook (Debrecen városa)