Over 300,000 people are not reaching the labor market, according to employers' data, BNT reported. Another 250,000 are of working age, but are not working. The situation is the worst in healthcare, construction, tourism and agriculture.
This year will be a record year for the import of personnel from third countries to the EU, the Employment Agency also reports. According to preliminary data from their survey, the most sought-after personnel in business is the machine operator.
Mihaela and Velislava graduated in physiotherapy. In their hometown of Silistra, they have been unable to find work in their specialty for a long time. They had to support themselves as waitresses until they started caring for disabled children in a state institution, but that also turned out to be a disappointment.
"I've been struggling for seven years in a state job, literally struggling. As a waitress, I made more money. State work is a killer. I worked for two months without a salary, because there was no other way to realize myself in the small town," said Mihaela Stefanova.
"A scheme in which you revolve, you realize at the age of 30 that you have achieved nothing in your life, that at the end of the month it is not so much how much money you will get, but how much time you will have for yourself and your family," added Velislava Stamatova.
Against this background, employers are currently reporting a shortage of 300 thousand people on the labor market, and within three years the gap is expected to reach half a million.
"About 70% of employers claim that they cannot find suitable specialists, even physical labor. Currently, the deficits are for about 300 thousand people. The most serious difficulties are experienced in the healthcare sector, in construction, in education, in tourism, and in agriculture. There is also a shortage of many professions related to STEM skills, engineering sciences," explained Tomcho Tomov, director of the National Center for Competence Assessment at the Bulgarian Industrial Association.
The number of jobs applied for in labor offices is 9,500, according to data from the Employment Agency. Preliminary data from their survey also shows who the most sought-after professionals are.
"This year, the profession that is assessed as the most sought-after and the most employers have indicated it is machine operator. Next are builders, waiters-bartenders, as well as cooks, tailors, welders," explained Gabriela Goranova-Dimcheva, Deputy Director of the Employment Agency.
And while there is a serious shortage on the labor market, according to employers, there are nearly 800 thousand people left outside it.
"These are uneducated, unemployed, inactive people. Only young people under 29 years old who are uneducated and unemployed are about 200-250 thousand", said Tomcho Tomov.
And the labor offices are trying in every way to attract people who are not looking for work.
"From the beginning of the year to the end of August, more than 46,800 people have been activated on the labor market, while for the same period last year they were 35,961. Skills are being trained on how to write resumes, how to behave in front of an employer, because this may be key, but people do not know exactly how to approach a given situation and last but not least, there are specific programs in which they can participate," explained Gabriela Goranova - Dimcheva.
Separately, more and more Bulgarian employers are importing staff, according to data from the Employment Agency. The permits received this year are over 35 thousand.
"This year will be a record year in terms of the number of registrations issued in Bulgaria for the number of workers from third countries outside the European Union", commented Tomcho Tomov.
Most often, workers come to our country from Uzbekistan, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, India and Indonesia. The trend of returning Bulgarians from abroad also continues.
"This year alone there are about 60 thousand. Out of 2.5 million Bulgarians outside the country, over a period of two to three years, about 400 thousand have returned to the country," Tomov added.
But this does not solve the problems. The exact number of people outside the labor market is yet to be determined. According to non-governmental organizations, unofficially, Roma unemployment in our country has reached 80 percent.
"Somewhere around 3% of Roma in Bulgaria have higher education, somewhere 6.5% have secondary education, and the rest of the Roma are illiterate", said Ivan Kalinov – representative for Bulgaria of the World Roma Federation.
For now, most of these people are outside the statistics. Only when they enter it will the state harness its entire apparatus to help them, labor experts promise.
"We are already forming mobile teams to reach the individuals. In practice, we will contact them. Their cases will be considered on a case-by-case basis," commented Yoana Terzieva – director of the Labor Bureau – Ruse.
And during this time, employers are readjusting to the new realities and will continue to import staff.