06.06.2023
THE APPLICATION FOR LARGER SOCIAL BENEFITS HAS BEGUN
From June 1, people can now submit social assistance applications at any Social Assistance Directorate in the country to apply for the higher social benefits. Documents can also be submitted electronically.
From June 1, 2023, the amount of social benefits is determined depending on the poverty line, which is currently BGN 504, and will not be tied to the guaranteed minimum income, which is BGN 75 and has not been changed since 2018. The basis for access to benefits, it will not be BGN 504, which is the poverty line for 2023, but 30% of it, i.e. BGN 151.20. Individuals and families whose income for the previous month is lower than a certain differentiated minimum income, calculated on this basis, are entitled to monthly assistance.
Access thresholds increase from BGN 151.20 to BGN 249.48 per person, and in some categories the increase is more than double. The amount of assistance is the difference between these thresholds and the actual income of the family. For example, the maximum amount of monthly social assistance for a person living alone over the age of 75 will increase from BGN 136.50 to BGN 249.48. For a parent raising a child up to the age of 3 alone, its value will increase from BGN 99.00 to BGN 181.44.
Disaster and accident aid is also being increased to cover incidental needs. Now it is five times the guaranteed minimum income - BGN 375, and it will already be up to three times the poverty threshold or BGN 1,512 for this year.
The new provisions stipulate that the period for mandatory continuous registration at the Labor Bureau Directorate before submitting an application-declaration for social benefits will be reduced from 6 to 3 months. This enables faster access to social assistance and reduces the risk of falling out of the system. The time for community service by the unemployed who receive social benefits is reduced from the previous 14 days at 4 hours per day to 40 hours per month. In this way, it is possible to include them in various measures to obtain and increase their qualifications and experience, which is a factor for their faster inclusion in the labor market.
With the changes in the Regulations for the implementation of the Law on Social Assistance, new opportunities are provided for the support of risk groups, which until now have not received assistance. It is planned to cover the initial needs of adults leaving a residential type of social service, to grant targeted assistance in the amount of the poverty line for the relevant year. The aid will be given for three months, granted only once and on the condition that the person has registered with the Labor Office Directorate.
The changes give the right, when an unemployed person or an unemployed family member receiving monthly social benefits starts work, that the benefits continue to be paid for a period of 3 months within 1 year, starting from the moment of concluding the employment contract. The restriction on the granting of monthly allowances to students in higher education institutions, as well as to students in private schools, is no longer applicable. It is planned not to require registration in the Labor Office Directorate for the granting of monthly allowances to students in higher schools in specialties for which only a regular form of education is provided.
05.06.2023
PROJECTS FOR THE EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE FINANCED WITH UP TO BGN 90,000
Employers can receive up to BGN 90,000 for business-oriented projects that aim to stimulate the employment of people with permanent disabilities in a specialized work environment. This was announced by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy.
Project proposals are funded by the Agency for People with Disabilities to open and equip new or adapt existing workplaces for appointed people with permanent disabilities. Specialized enterprises and cooperatives of people with disabilities can apply for the funds. The deadline for submitting documents is 20.06.2023.
The Agency for People with Disabilities will finance up to BGN 20,000 projects of people with disabilities to start or develop an independent business. The funds can be used for investment costs, establishment of a new enterprise, construction and repair works, workplace equipment, training of the owner of the enterprise, as well as to cover minimum start-up capital.
It is necessary that the candidates have 50 and more than 50% reduced working capacity and not participate as owners or partners in another company. Project proposals must be sent no later than 19.06.2023.
More details about the projects and how to apply can be found on the website of the Agency for People with Disabilities - https://ahu.mlsp.government.bg/.
05.06.2023
UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE THREE NORTHWEST COUNTIES FELL BY 1.2 PERCENT IN APRIL
The number of unemployed in the three northwestern regions - Montana, Vratsa and Vidin - decreased by 1.2 percent in April compared to March, the Regional Employment Service Directorate in Montana announced.
At the end of April, the unemployed persons in the three regions totaled 15,706 and were 183 less than at the end of March.
The average level of unemployment in the Bulgarian Northwest is 11.5 percent and compared to the previous month there is a decrease of 0.1 percent, and compared to the month of April 2022 the decrease is 0.8 percent.
In the Vratsa region, the unemployment rate is 10.1 percent, in the Montana region - 11.8 percent, and in the Vidin region - 14.2 percent. The municipalities with the lowest unemployment are Vratsa - 4.2 percent, Montana - 4.2 percent, Mezdra - 5.1 percent and Vidin - 7.2 percent, etc. Unemployment is highest in the municipalities of Makresh - 68.2 percent, Dimovo - 54.2 percent, Ruzhintsi - 42.2 percent, Yakimovo - 31.8 percent, Gramada - 30.1 percent, Bregovo - 29.2 percent, Borovan – 26.5 percent, etc.
The occupations most sought after by employers in the month of April in the Northwest are tailors, ironers, machine operators, doctors, nurses, assemblers, general workers, sales consultants, drivers, personal assistants, packers, cooks, waiters, etc. the Regional Employment Service Directorate in Montana specified.
02.06.2023
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER LAZAROV: MLSP WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE VICTIMS OF THE FLOOD IN BERKOVITSA
"The teams of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and the Agency for Social Assistance will provide the necessary support to anyone who suffered from the flood in Berkovitsa. Together with the mayor of the municipality, we will organize visits to people's properties so that those who have suffered can be identified." This is what Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor and Social Policy Lazar Lazarov said to journalists in the National Assembly regarding the flooding in Berkovitsa and the village of Barzia, caused by the torrential rain yesterday.
He reminded that from June 1, new rules in the field of social assistance are in effect, which provide that the maximum amount of one-time assistance for incidental needs will increase from BGN 375 to BGN 1,512 depending on the injuries and damages. "The funds are support for the immediate needs that people have to buy food, medicine, water or small household goods. They are not intended to cover repairs or restoration activities," said Deputy Prime Minister Lazarov.
After identifying the needy, the aid will be granted according to the relevant rules. "The application procedure is simplified. Colleagues from the Social Assistance Agency will help people in need to fill out the relevant documents so that we can provide the necessary support," he added.
Families affected by the flood are also entitled to one-time assistance of up to BGN 2,500 from the Social Protection Fund of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy.
02.06.2023
IS THE JOB MARKET OVERHEATING?
Since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis, the labor market in Bulgaria has gone through many different phases - from an explosion of unemployment during the lockdowns, followed by a revival and a very high demand for labor after them, to a record employment and labor shortage since the end of last year. However, the expected slowdown in economic growth raises the question of whether the expansion is over and the labor market has returned to a more normal course or, on the contrary, will continue to heat up, says an analysis by the Institute for Market Economics.
To answer the question, economists use the Beveridge curve, which compares the unemployment rate to the number of job vacancies relative to the total labor force. The resulting indicator serves to determine the moment of the business cycle through the dynamics of the labor market, with recessions characterized by high unemployment and lower demand for labor, and periods of economic growth - by low unemployment, many vacancies and, accordingly, high competition for workers.
A special case is when there is an increase in unemployment combined with an increase in the number of vacancies relative to the size of the labor force. In such a case, there is likely to be a significant mismatch between employers' needs for new labor and the skills and qualifications of the unemployed, which speaks to deeper structural problems in the labor market beyond the influence of the economic cycle.
The Beveridge curve for the last three years clearly demonstrates that from the point of view of the labor market, the crisis can be divided into several stages. With the introduction of the initial restrictions on social and economic life in March 2020, unemployment increased by almost 3 pp. up to 9% of the labor force, but the level of vacancies remains almost unchanged at the level of 20 thousand - or 6-6.5 per thousand working people. In other words, even during a period of sharply increased economic uncertainty, employers generally do not reduce their demand for labor. There is a slight drop in the demand for labor only in the winter months with the introduction of the second wave of restrictive measures, with its lowest level recorded in December 2020 - with 4.82 vacancies per thousand able-bodied, according to the Institute for Market Economics.
The break-even point at which the vacancy rate exceeds the unemployment rate comes in February 2021, with the usual seasonal dynamics observed over the course of the year. The demand for labor rises in the summer months with the activation of tourism and agriculture, and accordingly shrinks in the autumn and winter months, while at the same time the unemployment rate falls below its pre-crisis levels to 4.7 - 4.9% in the fall of 2021. Namely in the second quarter of 2021 comes the peak of labor demand, at least according to the data of the Employment Agency.
2022 brings with it a subsequent normalization and recovery of seasonal dynamics, especially from a demand perspective. The winter and spring months here are also characterized by a visible revival (up to 9.9 vacancies per 1000 able-bodied), mostly related to the dynamics of tourism and agriculture, followed by a more visible decline compared to the previous year during the summer and the autumn months. Towards the end of the year, a slight increase in unemployment was also observed, which is also an indicator that the Bulgarian labor market has already passed the recovery phase after the covid-shock and has returned to its usual dynamics. The beginning of 2023 also brings a rapid recovery in demand, but more moderate than in previous years, most likely as a result of the narrowed expectations of employers for expansion in the coming quarters and the mismatch between labor supply and demand.
In regional terms, while Burgas and Blagoevgrad are among the districts most seriously affected by the initial impact on the labor market and continue to recover from it, Vidin is the district with the weakest indicators in the whole country, and the capital - the strongest and a flexible labor market throughout the national economy.
Apparently, selected regional labor markets continue to behave differently. Blagoevgrad - the district whose local labor market took the hardest hit during the crisis, not only shows no signs of recovery in terms of unemployment, but also from mid-2022 the unemployment rate rises again, to over 10 % of the able-bodied. However, labor demand in the area remains very high (except for the last month for which we have data, April 2023), which points to structural problems limiting the growth of the local economy.
Burgas, for its part, returns to its usual seasonal dynamics driven by tourism from 2021. Here again, unemployment starts to rise slightly after mid-2022, but remains well below its 2020 levels. Meanwhile, demand in the first months of 2023 is higher than in previous years, most likely driven by optimism for a stronger summer.
In Vidin, the relationship between unemployment and the vacancy rate remains negative even three years after 2020. Unemployment remains significantly high at over 9% even in the best months, and the demand for labor is weak. This, in turn, means that the major problems in the regional labor market are structural and far predate the pandemic, mostly along the lines of weak entrepreneurial activity and investment, which also determines the low demand for labor in the workforce.
The capital is expected to be the most positive example, with job vacancies falling below the unemployment rate very briefly in the worst months of 2020, and since the end of 2021 unemployment has remained below the very low level of 1.6%. From mid-2022, however, there is a gradual decline in labor demand, most likely under the influence of reduced expectations for growth in the coming year, especially from the perspective of the IT sector.
At this stage, the main indicators of the labor market point not so much to overheating as to a gradual calming down. On the one hand, the demand for workers is slowing down as a result of indications of more moderate growth in the coming quarters, on the other hand, unemployment is rising slightly, following the usual annual cycle. However, this does not mean that access to a skilled workforce will not be a growth constraint in the medium term, especially in regions with deeper structural problems, the analysis concludes.
01.06.2023
BNB RAISED THE MAIN INTEREST RATE
As of today, the main interest rate is 2.96 percent, the Bulgarian National Bank determined. Last month it was 2.77 percent.
The indicator is technical, but clearly reflects the trend of rising interest rates, BNR reports.
In April, the BNB also decided that from today - June 1st, banks will be required to set aside not 5, but 10 percent of minimum mandatory reserves - for the funds attracted by non-resident citizens who are not residing in our country.
From July 1, banks will have to set aside 12 percent of minimum reserves for the borrowed funds from everyone.
01.06.2023
HOW TO CHECK IF YOU ARE WORKING WITHOUT INSURANCE
Special software developed by the Labor Inspectorate helps workers and employees to check the probability that their work or part of it is undeclared, as well as to receive guidance on how to react.
The software is a questionnaire that assesses the risk of undeclared work in its various directions - work without an employment contract or under fictitious conditions, unregulated payments, are the lives and health of workers at risk, etc.
The software was developed under the cross-border project "Cooperation for decent work" ("Cooperation for decent work"), financed by the Fund for bilateral relations under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014 - 2021. The self-assessment tool is freely available on the website of the Executive Agency "General Labor Inspectorate", which is a partner in the project, at https://www.gli.government.bg/udw/ A shortcut to it is also provided through the banner "Check if you are working undeclared".
The Labor inspectorate reminds that the legislator has assigned to the employer all the responsibility for ensuring safety and health at work, as well as the creation of an organization to exercise constant effective control for compliance with the introduced measures to minimize risks. The worker, for his part, should strictly follow the imposed rules in order to avoid accidents at the workplace.
Workers should bear in mind that working without an employment contract prevents them from taking advantage of the mandatory "Work Accident Insurance" in the "Construction" sector in the event of a work accident, as well as claiming unpaid wages.
At the end of April 2023, the labor inspectors carried out a total of 990 inspections of construction sites throughout the country. A total of 5,171 items were found during the inspections. violations of labor legislation. Of them, 3649 pcs. are violations related to health and safety working conditions. There are 1,513 violations in the implementation of labor relations - in their creation, implementation and termination, in terms of payment of labor, rest and vacations, and others.
A total of 4,968 items have been applied to remedy the identified violations. coercive administrative measures. 84 sites, workplaces, machines and equipment, endangering the life and health of workers, have been suspended from operation. For some of the established violations, administrative criminal liability was sought, and 324 cases were compiled. acts.
During the campaign, 139 persons without concluded employment contracts were identified. The labor inspectorate traditionally plans a special measure guaranteeing enhanced year-round control during construction and assembly works, and it is particularly active in the period from April to October.
In view of the increased occupational injuries, the preventive control by the labor inspectors during inspections in enterprises, for which there is a mandatory requirement for workers to have undergone specific training for qualification or legal capacity, has been strengthened. This requirement affects workers in construction, extractive industries (including logging) and manufacturing industries (including metallurgy).
The analysis of the control activity shows that, for the most part, occupational accidents are completely preventable. The reasons that led to them are identical and are most often related to neglect of safety rules, failure to implement effective controls or underestimation of the risks of specific workplaces.
01.06.2023
HOW TO CHECK IF YOU HAVE OBLIGATIONS TO THE NRA
How to check if you have arrears with the National Revenue Agency and in what amount? Information on the current amount of your obligation, together with accrued interest (if any) and the stage of the proceedings for its collection at the National Revenue Agency, can be obtained from:
The most common public liabilities are for taxes, insurance and fines.
Use Payable Liabilities Check to check and, if any, pay outstanding/overdue public liabilities. The information provided includes the current amount of the obligation, the accrued interest and the stage of its collection in the NRA.
You owe legal interest on taxes, fees, deductions from profits, contributions to the budget and other government claims of a similar nature that have not been paid within the terms for voluntary payment, not withheld or withheld but not paid in due time.
By Resolution No. 426 of 18.12.2014 on determining the amount of legal interest on overdue monetary obligations, issued by the Council of Ministers, the amount of legal interest was determined at the rate of the basic interest rate of the BNB, effective from January 1, respectively 1 July of the current year, plus 10 percentage points. Interest on interest and interest on penalties are not due. You can calculate the interest due with the NRA's arrears interest calculator.
Through the electronic services of the NRA, accessible with a PIC or with an electronic signature
On the Portal for electronic services, you can quickly make a request for outstanding public obligations within the period for voluntary performance, including those received from other administrative bodies and administrations - for collection by a public contractor at the NRA. The electronic portal also offers a service for payments of liabilities to the budget electronically - with a bank card, through the virtual POS of the NRA (with the exception of liabilities established under the Gambling Act, for which enforcement proceedings have not been initiated) or through ePay.
Through the NRA information phone - 0700 18 700, after identification with the PIC
In the competent office of the NRA (at the permanent address of the natural person or at the registration of the legal entity). In case you have not yet obtained a NRA PIC, this can be done at the nearest NRA office. PIC is issued free of charge.
31.05.2023
WHAT COSTS ARE INCURRED WHEN WORKING ON A CIVIL CONTRACT
Let us recall that under the so-called "civil contracts" work is also performed, but the legal regime of the contract is not subject to labor legislation, and the performer generally does not have the quality of "worker or employee", which is the exact name according to the Labor Code in Bulgaria. However, there are also quite frequent cases in which the parties to an existing employment relationship conclude civil contracts with each other in parallel.
These contracts have their own specifics, such as the fact that the costs of achieving the final result are borne by the contractors. What amounts should be withheld and deducted from the amounts payable under civil contracts?
Let us clarify that the parties to the civil contract are called the Performer and the Contractor. The Contractor is actually the person ordering, i.e. the person who assigns the performance of a certain work. The performer, on the other hand, is the person who is assigned to perform this work.
The law does not set special requirements for the two parties, it is sufficient that they be of legal age and capable of acting (when it refers to natural persons) or legally competent legal entities that have not been terminated due to liquidation or bankruptcy. Only the care with which the performer must fulfill the contract is different. If he is a merchant, he owes performance with the care of a good merchant, if he is not of merchantable quality, he owes the care of a good householder.
If the person who concludes a civil contract also has an employment contract concluded at the same time, he must necessarily notify the Employer of this. On this basis, the payer of the income is obliged to withhold and pay after deducting 25 percent of normatively recognized expenses, insurance contributions for the mandatory social insurance and 10 percent of income tax. Under a civil contract, no insurance is due only when the maximum insurable income for the month is exceeded or only health insurance is due if the person is a pensioner, but 10% income tax is always due.
The sums received for business trips under legal relationships that are not employment are not subject to taxation, when they are at the expense of the contracting party, such as travel and accommodation money, documented through an issued primary accounting document in the sense of the Accounting Act. The same applies to the daily travel allowance, but not more than twice the amount that is determined for persons in employment relationships - the excess over the double amount is taxable income.
When working under a civil contract and receiving remuneration, the payer of the income issues an account for amounts paid, in which the amount received, the charged insurance and tax are noted. Only for the last 4th quarter of the year (for the months of October, November and December), the payer has no legal basis to charge the tax, unless this is expressly agreed between the payer and the recipient of the income. If this arrangement is not made, the tax for the amounts paid in the 4th quarter is calculated and paid by the person receiving the income.
At the end of the year, the payer of the income issues an official note for the amounts paid during the year, which the person must attach to his annual tax return under Art. 50 of the Personal Income Tax Act.
30.05.2023
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO CONDUCT TRAINING WITH VOUCHERS TO EMPLOYED AND UNEMPLOYED PERSONS
With the mechanism introduced at the end of 2009 for financing the training of employed and unemployed persons under procedures for the direct provision of financial assistance through vouchers, prerequisites were created for the inclusion of a large number of persons in training for the acquisition of professional qualifications and key competences.
When organizing the training, the leading principle is granting the right of free choice to the specific person. Persons who have received a training voucher have the right to independently choose the type of training, its duration and the training provider. Who and under what conditions can provide these trainings, according to the requirements of the law?
Training providers who meet certain regulatory requirements have the right to carry out voucher-financed training for professional qualification/key competences. They must hold a valid license issued by the National Agency for Vocational Education and Training (NAVET) to provide training for the acquisition of a professional qualification for a specific profession and specialty. The other option is to be an educational institution under the Preschool and School Education Act to provide training in the relevant profession or profession specialty.
Organizations are required to have an equipped material and technical base within the locality in which the training will take place, as well as to have teachers in theory and practice.
Employers whose workers or employees are included in training under this order have the right to be present during the training sessions and/or when taking the exams. Employers are not allowed to request documents and do a document check of training providers.
The Employment Agency pays the training providers for the specific training carried out funds equal to the value of the voucher for the relevant training, after presenting the necessary documents and the certificate received by the trainee after successfully passing the exam for the relevant level of competence. In the event of non-appearance of a certification exam without good reason, the training provider may require the individual to refund the value of the training voucher provided.
The value that will be paid with a voucher includes all the inherent costs of the training, including the taxes and fees due according to Bulgarian legislation, with the exception of the costs of scholarships and transport, when the training is for unemployed persons. Training providers are entitled to receive only the value of the voucher in BGN indicated on it.
The certification of the acquired knowledge and skills is carried out through an exam according to instructions approved by the Minister of Labor and Social Policy. Individuals who have received a Digital Competency Training Voucher must take the certification exam within one month of completing the training, and may take the exam no more than twice.
The adopted regulation on the provision of learning vouchers creates a regulatory framework to increase the participation in lifelong learning of tens of thousands of employed, unemployed and inactive persons, and increase their chances for better employment and a higher standard of living.
