28.04.2023

REGISTERED UNEMPLOYMENT IN BULGARIA WAS 5.4% IN MARCH

In the month of March, the Employment Agency reports 152,230 registered unemployed, which is 3,298 persons or 2.1% less than in February. With this number, the level of registered unemployment in March was 5.4%, which is 0.1 points lower compared to the previous month and compared to March 2022.

The number of newly registered unemployed in March increased by 1,898 compared to February 2023. According to the reported data, they were 20,096 persons, with a decrease of 1,451 persons on an annual basis. Another 597 people from the groups of jobseekers employed, students and pensioners also registered with the employment offices during the month. In March, labor mediators - Roma and youth mediators managed to activate a little over 1,700 inactive persons for registration at the labor offices.

During the month, 17,189 vacancies were reported in the labor offices on the primary market, which is a decrease of 0.8% compared to March 2022. The most vacancies in the real economy were reported in the hotel and restaurant industry (23.8%). manufacturing (21.2%), followed by government (11.2%), trade (9.4%), agriculture, forestry and fisheries (8.0%) and administrative and support activities (5.0%).

The most sought-after occupations by businesses in March are: personnel employed in the field of personal services; staff caring for people; sellers; workers in agriculture, forestry and fisheries; workers in the mining and processing industries, construction and transport; machine operators of stationary machinery and equipment; drivers of motor vehicles and mobile equipment; waste collection and related workers; metallurgists, machine builders and related workers, and artisans; food preparation assistants, etc.

An increase in the number of unemployed people who started work in March reports the administrative statistics of the Employment Agency. In the third month of the year, they were 16,107 - 2,911 more than in February 2023. 429 pensioners, students and employed persons also found work through the employment offices.

The largest share of those who started working in the processing industry sector - 18.2%, followed by those in trade - 13.2%, hotels and restaurants - 9.6%, state administration - 8.9%, agriculture, forestry and fisheries -8.3%, human health care and social work - 5.5%, construction 5.1% and others.

In March, 1,517 unemployed people from the risk groups were assigned to subsidized jobs - 97 under employment programs and measures and 1,420 - under schemes of the Operational Program "Human Resources Development". A total of 383 unemployed and employed people have been included in various trainings, and 80 people have completed the training started in previous months, having acquired a new profession or key competence.