site.btaUnemployment Rate in 2017 Down to 6.2 Per Cent, Year on Year

Sofia, March 16 (BTA) - In 2017, there were 206,900 unemployed persons (114,200 men and 92,800 women), 16.3 per cent fewer than in 2016, the National Statistical Institute reported on Thursday, detailing the results of its labour force survey. The unemployment rate went down by 1.4 percentage points from 2016 to 6.2 per cent. Over the same period, the unemployment rate declined by 1.7 percentage points for men and by 1.1 percentage points for women, to 6.4 per cent and 5.9 per cent, respectively.

The unemployment rate was 12.9 per cent for the 15-24 age group and 9.9 per cent for the 15-29 age group. Compared to 2016, the unemployment rates for these age groups declined by 4.3 percentage points and by 2.3 percentage points, respectively.

The long-term unemployed persons numbered 113,800, representing 55.0 per cent of the jobless total. The long-term unemployment rate was 3.4 per cent (3.6 per cent for men and 3.2 per cent for women). The number of discouraged persons aged 15-64 was 112,200.

There were 1,317,700 economically inactive persons aged 15-64 (569,800 men and 747,900 women). The inactivity rate in that age group was 28.7 per cent (24.6 per cent for men and 32.9 per cent for women).

The share of early leavers from education and training in the 18-24 age bracket was 12.7 per cent. The share of people aged 30-34 who have completed tertiary education was 32.8 per cent.

In 2017 the economically active people aged 15-64 numbered 3,277,500, accounting for 71.3 per cent of the population in that age group. Compared to 2016, the activity rate in the 15-64 age group increased by 2.6 percentage points.

The total number of employed persons was 3,150,300, representing 51.9 per cent of the population aged 15 and over. The employed persons aged 15-64 numbered 3,073,400. The employment rate for the same age group was 66.9 per cent (70.6 per cent for men and 63.1 per cent for women).

The employment rate for the 20-64 age bracket was 71.3 per cent, 3.6 percentage points higher than in 2016. The employment rate in that age group increased by 4.0 percentage points for men to 75.3 per cent and by 3.3 percentage points for women to 67.3 per cent.

The employment rate for people aged 55-64 was 58.2 per cent. In comparison with 2016, it increased by 3.7 percentage points (4.2 percentage points for men and 3.3 percentage points for women).

February Figures

A total of 230,611 people registered as unemployed at labour offices in February 2018, down 2.8 per cent from January and 14.5 per cent from February 2016, the National Employment Service said in a press release on Thursday.

The February unemployment rate decreased as well: at 7 per cent, it was 0.2 per cent lower, month on month, and 1.2 per cent lower, year on year.

The newly registered unemployed in February numbered 20,260, including 839 economically inactive persons (i.e. such who were not previously employed, did not study and did not seek a job). Since the beginning of the year, mediators and their partners have activated 12,597 people.

Of the 18,145 persons who started work in February, over 86 per cent did so in the real economy. Of the 2,437 persons who entered subsidized employment during the month, 1,336 were enrolled in schemes under Operational Programme Human Resource Development, 1,038 under active labour market programmes, and 63 under active labour market measures.

A total of 11,686 unemployed attended vocational guidance and activation meetings, and 183 unemployed completed training.

Of the 16,071 primary-market job vacancies, more than two-thirds (80.6 per cent) were announced by the private sector. Of these job vacancies, the largest share was in manufacturing (27.4 per cent), hotels and restaurants (19.1 per cent), distributive trade (13.7 per cent), transport, warehousing and postal services (5.9 per cent), and general government (5.5 per cent).

The occupations in the strongest demand in February were bar tenders, waiters, chefs and housekeepers, stationary machinery and plant operators, workers in the extractive and manufacturing industry, construction and transport, skilled workers in food processing, apparel and wood articles manufacture, shop assistants, drivers, sanitation staff, metal workers, mechanical engineers, care givers, auxiliary administrative service personnel, etc.