The Hungarian Labour Market Yearbook series was launched in 2000 with the support of the National Employment Non-Profit Public Company Ltd. The yearbook presents the main characteristics of Hungarian employment policy and each year features an in-depth analysis of a topical issue. The editorial board has striven, from the beginning, to provide up-to-date results of labour market research and useful information on the Hungarian labour market tendencies as well as the legislative and institutional background of the employment policy of the GO and NGO organizations of the public employment services, local governments, the public administration, educational and research organisations and – last but not least – for both the press and the electronic media. This year we have also created a clearly structured and easily accessible volume that presents the main characteristics and trends of the Hungarian labour market onthe basis of available statistics, conceptual research and empirical analysis. Continuing our previous editorial practice, we selected areas that we consider especially important from the perspective of understanding labour market trends in Hungary and effective evidence-based policy making.