12.02.2021

The average salary increases by nearly 5 percent

In the fourth quarter of 2020 the average monthly salary was BGN 1,437 and increased compared to the third quarter of 2020 by 4.7 percent, according to preliminary data from the National Statistical Institute.

The average gross monthly salary for October 2020 is BGN 1,442, for November - BGN 1,402 and for December - BGN 1,468.

The economic activities in which the largest increase was registered were "Education" - by 13.7 per cent, "Human health and social work" - by 11.6 per cent, and "Financial and insurance activities" - by 6.8 per cent.

The most significant decrease in wages was registered in the economic activity "Hotels and restaurants" - by 11.6 percent.

In the fourth quarter of 2020 the average monthly salary increased by 9.4 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, with the largest increase in the economic activities "Real estate activities" - by 22.4 percent, and in "Human Health" and social work "and" Government "- 18.5 percent each. Compared to the same period of the previous year, the average monthly salary in the fourth quarter of 2020 in the public sector increased by 13.1 percent, and in the private sector - by 8.1 percent.

As of the end of December 2020, the number of employees decreased by 20.8 thousand, or by 0.9 per cent, compared to the end of September 2020, reaching 2.23 million. Compared to the end of the third quarter of 2020, the largest decrease in the number of employees is observed in the economic activities "Hotels and restaurants" - by 14.2 percent. The largest increase in the number of employees was registered in the activities "Human health and social work" - by 1 per cent, and "Education" - by 0.8 per cent.

At the end of December 2020 compared to the end of December 2019, the number of employees decreased by 60.3 thousand, or by 2.6 percent.

The largest decrease in the number of employees was observed in the economic activities "Hotels and restaurants" - by 25.9 thousand, "Manufacturing" - by 22.4 thousand, and the largest increase - in "Human health and social work" - by 6.3 thousand. ., and "Creation and dissemination of information and creative products; telecommunications" - by 6.2 thousand.

In percentage terms, the decrease was most significant in the economic activities "Hotels and restaurants" - by 24.7 percent, and the largest increase was registered in "Creation and dissemination of information and creative products; telecommunications" - by 6.5 percent.