For a long time now, inflation has been in an unfavourable state everywhere in the world . The term inflation refers to the process that leads to rising prices of goods and services and to a decline in the purchasing power of money and hence to its depreciation. In 2022, it broke the record threshold mainly because of the war on Ukraine and is still not on the wane. In February 2023, it recorded the following figures for each European Union country. Hungary has huge inflation, but other European countries are not shying away from it either. In the euro area, i.e. in the countries of the European Union where the euro is the currency, it reached 8.5%.

Hungary26,2 %
Lithuania 17,2 %
Slovakia 15,5 %
Croatia11,7 %
Austria 11 %
Germany9,3 %
The Netherlands8,9 %
Eurozone8,5 %
Ireland8 %
Inflation rates in EU countries in February 2023

Inflation affects everyone

Inflation affects every single one of us. It affects the average person, who is now increasingly weighing up what to spend money on and what not to spend money on. But it also affects the life and functioning of businesses and companies. This affects the economy and the economy as a whole. If prices rise, this leads to companies’ costs rising, because the prices of raw materials, labour and energy are also rising. This can lead to businesses raising the prices of their products and services to maintain profits. But this, in turn, will cause consumers to buy in smaller quantities and with less intensity than before inflation.

Declining consumer interest

As the prices of everything are rising, consumer habits are changing. The interest in consumer goods and services is declining, as people cannot afford them and are therefore forced to buy much less. This applies to everything – food, clothes, electronics, furniture, cosmetics, holidays. They can only buy what they really need, and unfortunately, there are those – those on lower incomes – who literally have to turn over every euro. Inflation has really been felt by everyone. Even people with decent earnings will be left with less of their paychecks because the cost of living has changed and increased substantially. Poor money situation leads to fewer sales and limited use of any services.

Need to adapt

With high prices, everyone needs to work to earn a living. This is the reason that today employees have to take a job that is currently vacant and on offer. If they want to survive in difficult times, they have no choice. This also applies to the work of care staff. That’s why it’s important to be flexible in this job, so that you can get the job you need. Nowadays it is not advisable to impose unnecessary conditions and requirements. People who are too picky lose the interest of patients’ families and agencies, preferring competitors who can adapt more easily and seamlessly to the circumstances.

Despite certain preferences, it is good to take a job in a client’s family that may not meet them all. For example, if a caregiver prefers to care for a patient with a milder diagnosis or would prefer to work in a city centre flat rather than a rural home, if this option is not currently available, there is a choice of other job offers. Otherwise, it may not be so easy to get a job because the labour market situation is complex and you have to adapt to it.

In case you are looking for a job, Atena will be happy to help you find the right one, thanks to our 15 years of experience in the market.