Nearly 26,000 citizens of countries outside the European Union gained access to the Bulgarian labor market in 2025. This is an increase of about 25% compared to the previous year, according to an analysis by the Institute for Market Economics. Of the admitted workers, 18,658 were seasonal. By the end of the year, about 29,000 foreign citizens had residence permits for the purpose of employment. Their number is almost five times higher compared to 2020.
A significant part of workers from third countries come to Bulgaria for short periods, mainly due to the seasonal needs of tourism and agriculture. They are also concentrated in construction and manufacturing. Even at the highest estimate, their share remains below 2% of about 2.9 million employed in the country. According to the IME analysis, the data show no relationship between the share of seasonal workers from third countries and changes in the employment of the local population.
The thesis that hiring foreigners leads to pressure on wages is also not confirmed. Between 2020 and 2025, gross wages in the hotel and restaurant industry increased by nearly 110%, while the average growth for the country is 87%. Despite this, the sector continues to offer the lowest wages.
The shortage of personnel remains a serious problem for the Bulgarian economy. In 2025, employers have stated a need for over 231,000 potential appointments in the next 12 months. The Institute of Management and Economics specifies that this estimate probably exceeds the real possibilities for hiring.
According to the analysis, attracting workers from abroad can help fill vacant positions for which there are no longer enough candidates in Bulgaria. The institute recommends that this approach go in parallel with measures to activate and improve the qualifications of the local workforce.
Sources: nova.bg, investor.bg, kmeta.bg