17.06.2024

WHAT SALARIES DO YOUNG BULGARIANS WANT?

Young people aged 18 - 35 expect employers and the state to agree on workable ways to achieve adequate pay (80% in total). They know what they expect from their employers and value their work - they consider a monthly salary of BGN 1,200 too low to start work, and they indicate a little over BGN 4,300 (after taxes) as the desired remuneration in the next one year. It is noteworthy that women's salary expectations are on average between 27% lower than men's.

This is shown by a study by the online marketing research agency JTN and Bulgaria Wants You about the trends in the attitudes of young Bulgarians regarding their future in personal and professional terms, comparing them with a similar study conducted in 2023.

The results clearly show that the vast majority (89%) see their professional and personal development in the next 5 years in Bulgaria. In the responses of the respondents, an increasingly conscious struggle for personal affirmation through better education, more freedom and flexibility at work, active career development and family creation is striking.

In addition, more and more young people prefer to work for a Bulgarian employer (45% - 5% more than last year). They believe that here they can get better chances for career growth and find a job that is closer to their personal interests. Respondents are of the opinion that foreign employers hire more executive positions in Bulgaria, while Bulgarian companies are looking for more ideas and give a chance for creativity in the work.

In addition to adequate pay, more people cite a good work-life balance as a motivating factor, moving it up one position compared to last year and displacing a friendly work environment from second place.

Young Bulgarians up to the age of 35 are much more likely to rely on their own strength - 74% say that they themselves are responsible for their successful career development, and 49% indicate that they are ready to sacrifice their personal time for their professional realization. More than 60% of respondents define the option of working from home as extremely important. More than half of respondents believe that they are more productive at home than in the office, which is 8% more than the survey results of the same question in 2023.

More and more respondents claim that they would return to live in their hometown if they were offered an adequate job (51%). Half of the respondents plan to start their own company because they think it is more promising than being an employee. The percentage of young people who say they prefer being content creators/public figures to salaried work (45%) or developing their own business (38%) is also increasing.

The most serious expectations for the state are to build a positive image of the country, achieve economic growth and a good quality of life. 60% of people under the age of 35 are visibly more ready to take personal responsibility and take on tasks outside their narrow personal interest and believe that they can personally contribute to the development of Bulgaria, but there is a lack of a common cause to unite them.

Regarding their personal life, 71% of the respondents said that they want to have a child in the next 5 years, and as the main factors in deciding to become parents, they indicated factors such as trust in the person next to them (42%) and the availability of a home/apartment (38 %). On a personal level, financial matters are far below intangible measures of happiness. 62% define it as most important to have a "loved person by your side", 45% put parenthood first, health is the highest priority for 43%, and financial stability is most important for 38% of respondents.