site.btaDecember 2024 Unemployment in Bulgaria Reported at 5.2%

The number of registered unemployed as of the end of December 2024 was below 150,000 (148,248) for the first time since statistics on registered unemployment were kept, the Employment Agency said Thursday. (The unemployment rate is defined as the share of registered unemployed persons in the economically active population aged 15-64, as determined by the 2021 Census.)

According to the data, the registered unemployment rate in December was 5.23%, a decrease of 0.4 percentage points compared to the same month of 2023.

A total of 8,894 unemployed persons found jobs in December. In addition, 279 people from the groups of employed, students and pensioners also found employment with the help of employment intermediaries.

Roma and youth mediators played a crucial role in dynamizing the labour market. Together with the staff at the Labour Offices, they have helped over 2,800 inactive people to register and thus increase their chances of employment. 

On the primary labour market, 3,903 vacancies were reported, with the largest number in manufacturing (19.0%), followed by public administration (15.2%), education (13.7%), trade (10.9%), hotels and restaurants (8.4%) and administrative and support activities (8.1%).

Among the most in-demand occupations during December 2024 were: personal care workers; teachers; cleaners and helpers; salespersons; machine operators, skilled workers in various industries; protection and security personnel; business and administrative professionals, etc.

In December, a total of 1,199 people from at-risk groups started work through subsidized jobs. Of these, 416 were employed under programmes and measures financed by the state budget, and 783 were recruited under projects of the Human Resources Development 2021-2027 Programme, co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus.