site.btaBulgaria Vows Support for ILO's Efforts against Poverty

Istanbul, October 3 (BTA) - Bulgaria vowed support for the efforts of the International Labour Organization to eradicate poverty. Increasing employment and ensuring fair work conditions in keeping with the ILO guidelines and conventions, are of key importance for overcoming inequality and social exclusion, Bulgarian Deputy Labour Minister Zornitsa Roussinova said at the 10th European regional meeting of ILO in Istanbul as quoted by her Ministry.

Roussinova said that the past three years have seen an unprecedented decline in unemployment in Bulgaria and it has reached 6.2 per cent in August against an EU average of 7.6 per cent, according to Eurostat figures. This is a good sign of economic recovery of businesses and the efficiency of measures against unemployment.

Roussinova said that despite the decline in unemployment, Bulgaria is faced with three key challenges on the labour market: shortage of qualified labour, especially with technical and engineering skills; large number of long-term unemployed with poor qualification; and youths who have dropped out from the education system and now are not on the labour market.

Roussinova catalogued the measures that this country is taking against youth unemployment and creating conditions for a better balance of work and family life for parents, and for equality between the sexes.