site.btaQ3 Unemployment Rate in Bulgaria at 3.6%

The unemployment rate was 3.6%, by 0.4% lower compared to the third quarter of 2023, the National Statistical Institute said in a press release on Friday.

The employment rate of the population aged 15-64 increased by 0.2% in comparison with the same quarter of 2023 and reached 71.7%.

The activity rate of the population aged 15-64 was 74.4%, by 0.2% lower compared to the third quarter of 2023.

In the third quarter of 2024, there were 110,300 thousand unemployed persons, of whom 62,000 (56.1%) men and 48,400 (43.9%) women. In comparison with the third quarter of 2023, the number of unemployed persons decreased by 14,700 (11.8%). For the same period, the unemployment rate went down by 0.4 percentage points and reached 3.6%, 3.8% for men and 3.4% for women. 125,000 were unemployed in the third quarter of 2023, the unemployment rate was 4%. 

In the third quarter of 2024, there were 2,964,800 employed persons, of whom 1,571,200 men and 1,393,500 women. The employment rate for the population aged 15 years and over was 53.8%, 60.0% for men and 48.1% for women. The employed people in Bulgaria in the third quarter of 2023 were 2,964,700.

In the third quarter of 2024, the youth unemployment rate (age group 15 - 29) was 7% (7% for men and 7.1% for women). Compared to the same quarter of 2023, this rate decreased by 1.3% - by 2.0% for men and by 0.3% for women. The youth unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2023 was 8.3%.