site.btaYouth Unemployment in Bulgaria Has Been Falling in the Past Year, Survey Shows

Youth Unemployment in Bulgaria Has Been Falling in the Past Year, Survey Shows

Sofia, December 7 (BTA) - Participants in a conference titled "Youth Guarantee: Work and Education for Young People" registered a drop in youth unemployment over the past year. The Monday event was hosted by Party of European Socialists (PES) President Sergei Stanishev.

According to data of the National Statistical Institute, quoted by Deputy Labour and Social Policy Minister Gulub Donev, 12.4 per cent of the unemployed are aged between 15 and 29. The Employment Agency's data for October show that over 48,000 are without a living, 15 per cent of the jobless total.

The most difficult problem to solve is that of young people without education who do not work, study or register with job offices.

Parents who support their children up to an average age of 30 are an additional problem.

Donev also spoke of another group: those with education, without professional experience and habits, who are frequently displeased with the remuneration offered.

The latest data show that over half of the Youth Guarantee funds extended to Bulgaria from the European Social Fund have been spent, as well as over 30 million leva under national measures supporting this instrument, Donev said.

There has been a delay in the implementation of this particular instrument, Stanishev finds.

It is the ambition of the PES President to expand the scope of the initiative next year through a child guarantee instrument to provide equal chances for children.

This idea of the European Socialists is not approved by a mere 12 per cent of Bulgarian respondents in a Sova Harris survey presented by Hristo Velchev. The survey was held between November 19 and 28 among 1,000 interviewees. Twenty-nine per cent opted for the "don't know" answer. Support for the idea was greatest from the Socialists (63 per cent) and from people with secondary education (57 per cent).

Eighty-six per cent of the respondents think the State should support young people in finding jobs. Eighty-five per cent have not heard about the Youth Guarantee programme and 88 per cent do not know how much funds have been extended to Bulgaria under it. Ninety per cent say there is not enough information about the programme's priorities and measures; 24 per cent say the programme has only temporary results; 63 per cent of Roma do not know where to get information and help in finding jobs. Fifty-three per cent of the respondents do not think the state policy to deal with child poverty, equal access to education and health care is good.

Former commissioner for employment, inclusion and social affairs Laszlo Andor said Bulgaria is somewhere in the middle of the European ranking in terms of youth unemployment, but has the second highest drop-out rate after Italy. During the crisis, youth unemployment grew most in Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Portugal, with about 50 per cent of young people there out of work.