site.btaJobless People Decrease by 15,000 Since Start of 2018

Sofia, April 16 (BTA) - The number of jobless people has decreased by 15,000 as of the start of the year, to reach 221,600 in March, the National Employment Agency said. The number is less than 9,011 people compared to February, and down 40,171 people compared to March 2017.

In March 2018, the level of unemployment registered by the National Employment Agency was 6.8 per cent. The level edged down 0.3 percentage from February and fell by a substantial 1.2 percentage points from March 2017, attributed to seasonal employment.

The newly registered unemployed in March 2018 numbered 21,741, of whom 24 per cent are youths, 27 per cent people over 50 years of age, 13 per cent people who identify themselves as Roma, and five per cent, people with disabilities.

A total of 5,500 persons have been activated by the mediators and their partners since the beginning of the year.

As many as 19,814 found work in March, which is 25 per cent higher than in February, attributed to subsidized jobs.

Employers declared 23,131 job vacancies on the primary market, nearly 45 per cent up the figure for February. More than 80 per cent of the vacancies were in the private sector.

In March the occupations most in demand were personal services staff, shop assistants, workers in the mining and manufacturing industries, in waste disposal, farming, drivers, machine operators, etc.