INDUSTRY 4.0 AND EMPLOYMENT IN THE HUNGARIAN LIGHT INDUSTRY BASED ON EMPIRICAL RESEARCH

Abstract

The fourth industrial revolution that unfolded in the last decade represents both a challenge and an opportunity for the Hungarian light industry, which has been struggling with serious difficulties for decades. Based on empirical research (company interviews), the study examines how widespread the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies is in the textile, clothing, leather and shoe industry (TCLS sector), and how it affects their employment. We found that the application of new technologies is less advanced in these branches even today. For this reason, there has been no spectacular change in the number and composition of the employed until today. This is also related to the particularities of the sector and to the unfavourable characteristics of the employed workforce. In fact, due to these factors, the new technologies of the fourth industrial revolution do not even represent a real opportunity for many enterprises in the TCLS sector in the coming years.