Adaptation to demographic changes must be directly linked to the labor market. The aging of the population means that human capital in Bulgaria will be increasingly valuable. This was stated by the Minister of Labor and Social Policy Natalia Efremova during the final conference to present the World Bank's interim assessment of Bulgaria's demographic strategy. She emphasized that people who want and can work should not be left out of the labor market - regardless of whether the reason is age, lack of appropriate skills or health restrictions. “It is important that policies not only keep people in the labor market, but also allow them to remain active, productive and motivated for better social inclusion“, the minister added.
“Demography is often measured by different numbers - birth rate, death rate, employment rates, aging, depopulation of certain parts, including in Bulgaria. We can use many such terms, but ultimately behind all these numbers are human destinies“, the minister pointed out. She emphasized that demographic policy is not a policy of just one ministry, but a policy for the future of the country. Part of this process are the decisions of young people whether to stay in Bulgaria, of families whether and when to have children, as well as whether and how people will continue to work in older age.
Among the important accents in the work of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy is support for parenthood and families through various instruments and budget investments. The Minister also emphasized the opportunities for combining work and parenthood, as well as flexible forms of employment. “What we aim for in every action we take - to provide security on the one hand and predictability on the other”, she noted.
Aging should not be viewed solely as a challenge to social systems, but also as an opportunity. In this context, the Minister emphasized the importance of long-term care and the development of the social services network. In recent years, significant investments have been made to build hundreds of new social services and to renew existing services for the elderly, including with resources from the European Union and the Recovery and Resilience Plan. “Caring for people is, above all, an investment”, she emphasized, adding that it is important for this care to be provided on time, to be accessible and of high quality, and to be as close to people as possible.
Minister Efremova also drew attention to regional imbalances and the depopulation of parts of the country. According to her, demographic processes require joint actions by the state, local authorities and business, so as to create conditions for work, development and access to quality public services in different regions. “Demographic policy is not a policy of numbers, of statistics. It is a policy for people“, concluded the Minister of Labor and Social Policy.