Hungary became the first of the countries which joined the EU in 2004 to introduce temporary restrictions for Bulgarian and Romanian migrant workers, EUobserver reported.

Only until recently the country criticised EU 'older' members for their restrictions for workers from the countries that joined the union in 2004, EUobserver said.

Hungary said that it would open its labour market gradually. In the meantime it would keep its quota system for workers from Bulgaria and Romania.

Migrant workers might seek jobs in the spheres of textile, healthcare and construction where Hungary lacked enough workers.

Hungary’s 7.4 per cent unemployment was the lowest in Central Europe but was expected to increase because the Hungarian government was shedding jobs to cut its budget deficit, EUobserver said.

Almost all other 'new' EU members like Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, together with the 'old' Sweden and Finland, said that they would open their labour markets for Bulgarian and Romanian workers, EUobserver said.