site.btaMore Efforts Are Needed to Overcome Long-term Unemployment in Bulgaria - EC

122 ECONOMY - EC - RECCOMMENDATIONS - EUROPEAN SEMESTER

More Efforts Are Needed
to Overcome Long-term
Unemployment in Bulgaria - EC


Sofia, May 20 (BTA) - More efforts are required in respect to long-term unemployment in Bulgaria and the measures to improve the situation with youth unemployment should be stepped up, said the Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General "Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion" (EMPL), Michel Servoz. He presented here Friday the European Commission's recommendations for Bulgaria within the 2016 European Semester of economic policy coordination.

Servoz noted that the recommendations are not dictated by Brussels and that the EC is not instructing Bulgaria how to reform its economy. The Commission is working in partnership with Bulgaria, he said.

Employment in Bulgaria is rising and currently stands at 68.1 per cent. This is slightly below the EU average of 70 per cent. The current trend is positive but employment remains below the 2008 levels.

Things are improving, but pre-crisis levels still have not been reached, Servoz commented.

Unemployment is also declining. In Bulgaria it is 7.9 per cent, down from an EU average of 9 per cent.

The situation with youth unemployment is improving as well.

More efforts are called for to tackle long-term unemployment because it is declining very slowly. It is 4.7 per cent in Bulgaria against a EU average of 4.3 per cent.

Servoz drew attention to the fact that the number of young people who are neither in employment nor in education and training is much above EU average (19 against 12 per cent).

People at risk of poverty are also much more in Bulgaria (over 41 per cent)./BR