Next year the state expects unemployment in our country to remain low. And Eurostat reports that Bulgaria is currently among the countries with the least unemployed in the European Union (EU). The budget for next year includes an unemployment rate of 3.6%. This is much lower than the current EU average, which is 6%, bTV reported.
However, regional unemployment in our country varies widely, according to data from the Employment Agency.
Among the excellent cities with extremely low unemployment are Sofia, where it is below 2%, Varna and Burgas – with unemployment slightly above 3%. And at the other extreme are Vidin, Montana and Vratsa, where unemployment is over 10%.
In one of the regions with high unemployment – Vratsa, Nicholas Krastev, is looking for a job. At the age of 27, he left his previous one and decided to study.
„I have basically worked in production and have gained experience there, so it so happened that I am looking for a job that I can combine with studying“, explains the young man.
He does not expect a high salary – he assumes that he will find one for 1200-1300 leva.
There are 1400 registered unemployed people in Vratsa. In the city, the opportunities are greater, but people in smaller settlements are more vulnerable and the unemployment rate – higher.
„There are fewer employers there, and the lack of transport is also one of the reasons why people have difficulty reaching jobs. We rely on employers who provide official transport“, specifies Violeta Andreeva from the Labor Bureau in Vratsa.
And recruitment companies admit that investors who create jobs and help reduce unemployment have a hard time choosing Northwestern Bulgaria. When looking for personnel from the region for specific projects, they are not easy to find.
“In general, the qualifications of people are weak in this region. Of course, there are also highly qualified ones, but statistically the qualifications are weak and in the absence of investments and operating enterprises in the region, it cannot be otherwise“, commented Svetlozar Petrov, manager at a recruitment company.
Economists expect the labor market to cool down next year due to the slowdown in economic growth. Wage growth will be lower than before.
“Now we had lower inflation, i.e. "incomes will catch up less," explains economist Stoyan Panchev.
However, the average salary is expected to grow at a higher rate than inflation.