09.11.2023

WHERE ARE THE MOST WANTED WORKERS?

Over 190,000. That's how many vacancies are expected to be this year. Although a large part of them are not due to new positions, but to replacement demand, finding qualified labor is becoming increasingly difficult for employers, according to the Employment Agency, an analysis of "Numbers of the Week" shows.

"No people!". We are already hearing this phrase from the mouths of more and more employers, and the difficulties they face in finding qualified labor are confirmed by a recent study by the Employment Agency. Forecasts, unfortunately, are that this will continue for at least the next few years. But why? According to employers, on the one hand, due to the lack of professional skills, but on the other hand, due to the lack of personal qualities. A good education and qualification, knowledge of a foreign language and digital competences are of course important, but no less important for them are motivation, discipline and teamwork skills, for example.

And here's what's expected to happen in four years. Due to the shortage of employees with secondary education, who are the most sought after - over 1.6 million people, people with primary education will also be hired in positions intended for them. Although the share of persons with a higher degree of education will grow, the need for them will also grow.

In 2027, the jobs occupied by employees with primary education will be 13,000 fewer, and those occupied by people with secondary and higher education - between 30 and 50,000 more.

Both now and in 4 years' time, nearly half of all employed persons, which is about one and a half million people between the ages of 15 and 64, are expected to be employed in manufacturing, trade and auto repair and in the field of construction. These are also the activities in which the most employees with relatively lower qualifications are sought. In the last two places in the ranking, are the mining industry and real estate operations. At least labor will be needed there. However, in 2027, there will be more vacancies in all the listed activities than they are now.

The most common after 4 years, as they are today, will be salespeople in stores - nearly 180,000. Followed by administrative specialists - 118,000 and teachers, whose number will chase 100,000. Of the 20 most common professions, the most few people will work as professional car drivers and machine operators in the garment industry - about 45,000 each.

Difficulties in finding personnel will increasingly prompt employers to make decisions such as opening training centers to the enterprises themselves or financing training and retraining of already employed employees. However, not a few individuals are unmotivated to learn or upgrade their skills, the study further states. Many of them are aware that there is a serious shortage of machine mechanics, for example, but say that they do not want occupations with a low reputation in society, sometimes even despite the good pay.

Regarding the distribution of employment by region, significant inequalities are observed, which do not seem to be overcome soon. The first three places are expectedly occupied by the districts in which the three largest cities in the country are located. Almost a quarter of the employed persons are expected to work in Sofia-city. The second most important area for the labor market is Plovdiv - it covers nearly 10% of the employed, and the third - Varna, with just over 7%. The last two places are for Silistra and Vidin, with a forecast of 35 and 26,000 workers respectively after 4 years.

The greatest need for employees with basic and even lower education is expected to be in the Kardzhali region - there it will be needed for 12% of the jobs. The districts of Targovishte and Sliven are next. The need for employees with a secondary education is expected to be the highest in the Pernik district - nearly 73% and a half, and the most employees with a higher education will be sought after in Sofia - nearly half of the jobs in the district will require a university diploma. According to the research, the discrepancy between the required and offered skills is one of the most serious problems in the labor market in our country, the solution of which could be precisely additional training.

It is indicated that there is currently a surplus of persons with primary or lower education in the labor market. They are approximately 120,000. At the same time, however, there is a deficit of persons with higher education - about 53,000, but even more of persons with secondary education - 67,000.