site.btaLabour Minister Says It Is Necessary to Boost Income from Employment

Labour Minister Says It Is Necessary to Boost Income from Employment

Sofia, December 22 (BTA) - Labour and Social Policy Minister Ivailo Kalfin said in a BTA interview that the most important thing is to create conditions and incentives to boost income from employment. He was positive that there are jobs in Bulgaria.

Labour shortage is most serious in areas requiring special skills, Kalfin said. Such shortage is also observed in the education system and, to some extent, in trade and services. Furthermore, the economy needs engineers and technical staff. The gap between labour demand and supply is still rather big, he said, adding that career planning should begin in school and in the family.

Statistical data show that employed people have increased by 30,000 in 2015 and incomes have risen, with the minimum monthly wage rising to 380 leva and the average wage to 874 leva, and the average pension has also increased, Kalfin said. The scope of social services has expanded, personal assistants have increased, and so has social spending. The old social care homes for children with disabilities have been shut down definitively. All these things are the result of a targeted policy and the efforts of many people in the system of the Labour and Social Policy Ministry, he said. But this is not enough, the Minister noted, pointing to the need to create a lasting sense of stability, predictability and justice.

Discussing changes which have been made in the field of social affairs in 2015 and will be felt in 2016, Kalfin said families entitled to child-raising benefits will increase by 10,000 in the middle of the year as the monthly income threshold rises to 400 leva per family member. Benefits for families with one, two or three children will rise, he said. Pensions are expected to go up by 2.5 per cent in the middle of 2016, and the lowest-income groups will hopefully receive Easter and Christmas bonuses.

Kalfin recalled the reform implemented in the pension system, which, he said, is important not because it produces immediate results, but because it creates a sense of confidence and stability.

According to the Labour Minister, social isolation and extreme poverty could potentially foster extremism. It is therefore in the best interests of society to prevent the emergence of ostracized communities. There is no doubt that the Roma and the refugees must receive assistance, he said.