BUDAPEST — When Balazs Katona couldn’t hire enough Hungarians at his power-tool factory on the outskirts of Hungary’s capital, he tried to recruit skilled workers from other countries. But in a nation with one of the toughest immigration policies in Europe, there were few takers.

So he turned to people who are often on the margins of Hungarian society: deaf adults. Today, 18 deaf employees are on the production line at the factory, Granit Abrasive, which churns out cutting-and-polishing tool parts for export. That is still not enough. Mr. Katona could use at least 10 more people, but he has few ideas on where to find them.

“Budapest is almost empty of workers,” he said.

All across Hungary, which has near-record low unemployment and one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe, there are not enough workers.