01.09.2021

THIS IS WHERE IN OUR COUNTRY THEY GIVE THE GREATEST BENEFITS TO UNEMPLOYED FOREIGNERS

Foreigners in our country who have lost their jobs receive the highest benefits in Targovishte. This is clear from the last published bulletin of the National Social Security Institute - for May this year.

According to the NSSI, the average amount of unemployment benefits received by a foreign citizen in Targovishte is BGN 958, and the average amount of this benefit in Sofia is BGN 20 less. At the same time, the average amount of compensation for Bulgarian citizens in the country is about BGN 463, with the highest value in the capital. There, the unemployed Bulgarians receive an average of about BGN 600 in unemployment benefits.

According to experts, the reason for such a difference is very simple - foreign nationals who receive benefits in our country have previously been insured for a much higher amount in another country. In addition, their number is far smaller and therefore the average amount of their benefits is higher than that of the Bulgarians, the publication points out.

By law, however, even if someone, whether a Bulgarian or a foreign citizen, has been insured abroad for very high amounts, in our country he has the right to receive 60% of the maximum insurance threshold for our country. At the moment it is BGN 3,000. This rule also applies to those working in our country. Even if they receive wages far above this threshold, they will also be entitled to compensation of 60% of it.

According to the data of the National Social Security Institute, over 17,000 foreign citizens are insured for unemployment in Bulgaria, and only 87 people from abroad receive compensation. At the same time, the insured Bulgarians in our country are 2,493,414, and the unemployed registered at the labor offices are 186,047. However, only a third of the latter receive unemployment benefits, or 65,609 people. The reason is that they have either already exercised their right to benefits in previous months, or they are not entitled to one because they are permanently unemployed.

The NSSI bulletin states that in 2021 the right to cash unemployment benefits have persons for whom insurance contributions have been paid or are due to the Unemployment Fund for at least 12 months in the last 18 months before the termination of insurance. In addition, they must be registered as unemployed with the Employment Agency and have not acquired the right to a pension for length of service and age in Bulgaria or in another country. Another condition is that they do not receive a pension for length of service and age in a reduced amount or an occupational pension. It is also required that persons do not engage in employment for which they are subject to compulsory insurance under CSR or the legislation of another country.

The daily unemployment benefit amounts to 60% of the average daily wage or the average daily insurance income on which contributions have been paid or are due to the Unemployment Fund for the last 24 calendar months preceding the month of termination of insurance. It may not be less than the minimum and greater than the maximum daily amount of the unemployment benefit determined by the State Social Insurance Budget Act for each calendar year. The minimum daily amount of the unemployment benefit for 2021 is BGN 12.00. The maximum daily amount of the unemployment benefit for 2021 is BGN 74.29. The cash benefits are paid for a period depending on the length of the insurance period. The period of service after December 31, 2001, during which they are insured for unemployment, shall be considered as insurance length of service of the persons. The minimum amount for a period of 4 months is also received by those of the unemployed persons who have acquired the right to compensation before the expiration of three years from the previous exercise of the right to compensation.

Aid can also be taken abroad

People retain their right to unemployment benefits granted in one Member State when they go to look for work in another Member State, subject to strict conditions, experts explain.

First, before leaving, the person must have been registered as a jobseeker with the employment services of the competent state for at least four weeks after becoming unemployed.

Secondly, when going to another Member State to look for work, he must be available to the employment services there within 7 days after he has ceased to be available in the country concerned and to follow the control procedure organized there.

If, within three months of the date on which he ceased to be available to the employment services in the competent State, the person returns and re-registers as a jobseeker, he shall continue to receive the unemployment benefit granted to him for the remaining period.

It is important to know that after the expiration of the three-month period the person loses the right to the remainder of the compensation granted under the national legislation, the experts specify.

Companies cut the unskilled first

Companies are laying off people without qualifications first, according to an analysis of data from the Employment Agency. According to them, the group of the unemployed without qualification and specialty continues to be the most numerous. The level of registered unemployment in the country this year continued to decline and in July reached a record 5.0% for the month, according to data from the administrative statistics of the Employment Agency. The decrease compared to the previous month is by 0.2% and the decrease on an annual basis is by 2.9 percentage points - from 7.9% in July 2020 to 5.0% in July 2021. Compared to the end of July 2019 - a year as a whole record growth in employment, the unemployment rate also fell by as much as 0.3 percentage points.