19.01.2023
NEW MEASURES ARE PROPOSED FOR THE UNEMPLOYED
Employers to request training for persons from disadvantaged groups in the labor market (full-time or part-time) that they will hire, as well as to provide a mentor to help them acquire/restore work habits and adapt to the work process, provides a new measure to promote employment. It is included in changes to the Employment Promotion Act uploaded for public consultation.
"Disadvantaged groups" are unemployed with lower competitiveness on the labor market, which include: unemployed youth up to the age of 29 (inclusive); long-term unemployed persons; unemployed persons with permanent disabilities; parents (adoptive parents) with children up to 4 years of age; served a prison sentence; unemployed over the age of 55; people with primary or lower education, or without professional qualifications.
Another change envisages expanding the range of unemployed people who can be employed in "green jobs". The accelerated development of the green transition makes it necessary to provide access to "green jobs" to all the unemployed, and not only to those with a registration duration of more than 6 months, it is written in the reasons for the project.
At the same time, the cancellation of inefficient measures will enable more efficient planning, allocation and use of state budget funds provided for active labor market policy.
It is proposed to change the sanction for people whose participation in subsidized employment is terminated by disciplinary dismissal. Instead of a ban on registration at the labor office, it is proposed that the sanction be a ban on participating in state-funded employment or training. In this way, these people will not be excluded from jobseekers, they will be able to use employment services, which will be a prevention for moving into the group of the economically inactive, as well as for participation in undeclared employment.
In addition, it is envisaged that the unemployed who have started work in subsidized jobs will remain registered as jobseekers. In this way, they will continue to use employment services, which increases their chance of finding a permanent job.
It is planned to reduce the sanction from 6 to 3 months for the exclusion from the register of unemployed persons with terminated previous registration. According to the reasons, a 6-month period is an unreasonably heavy sanction and leads to the loss of the right to compensation and to the termination of access to services, which significantly distances individuals from the labor market and subsequently makes it difficult to activate them.
The opportunities for jobseekers to use the regulated mediation services for referral to appropriate programs and measures for employment and training, referral to adult education and referral to a procedure for validation of professional knowledge, skills and competences in all "Labour Office" Directorates in the country, regardless of the place of registration.
The requirement for employers applying for subsidies under employment promotion measures to hire unemployed persons in workplaces for positions for which they have not terminated employment with workers in the last three months is cancelled.
Amendments are proposed in connection with the registration of the persons carrying out intermediary activity in employment, as well as the registration of enterprises providing temporary work. The bill stipulates that the registration certificates will be signed by the Executive Director of the Employment Agency, instead of the Minister of Labor and Social Policy.
The right to provide funds for representative clothing to the employees of the Employment Agency and its territorial divisions under employment law is regulated, which will create equality in working conditions between employees performing the same work.
18.01.2023
RIGHTS DURING PREGNANCY AND MATERNITY
In addition to being a reason for joy, pregnancy is sometimes also a cause for concern about the workplace. If you are a pregnant and working woman, the important thing is not to be afraid to let your employer know about your pregnancy. In most cases, he does not have the right to terminate your employment contract, as every pregnant employee enjoys special protection under the Labor Code.
The correct way to notify your employer of your pregnancy is to present a medical document certifying the pregnancy. In this way, you will be able to benefit from all the additional rights and protections under the Labor Code that apply to pregnant women. It is important to know that a verbal notice or written on a freestyle flyer has no legal value and does not guarantee you the additional rights and protections.
In vitro, pregnancy and work
The employer has no right to assign you work that endangers or endangers the safety and health of you and your unborn child. A pregnant woman has the right to refuse to perform such work, without this leading to negative consequences for her, for example, dismissal. These are professions related to:
- the release of toxic chemical substances;
- vibrations, noise, ultrasound, electromagnetic waves or temperatures of the working environment above permissible hygiene standards;
- lifting and carrying weights over 5 kg;
- closed sources of ionizing radiation (throughout the period of pregnancy);
- causative agents of infections, parasitic and fungal diseases (e.g. in a morgue).
The employer is obliged to release you from work when you have to go for medical examinations. For the time you are under examination, he must pay you remuneration in the amount of the average daily gross labor remuneration for the last calendar month.
When you are pregnant or in an advanced stage of in vitro treatment, night work (from 22:00 to 06:00) is prohibited. Working at night is also not allowed if you already have children up to the age of 6 or take care of disabled children regardless of their age. The same applies to overtime work – outside the working hours established in your employment contract, on weekends or during public holidays.
If you are pregnant, have a child/children under the age of 3 or are in an advanced stage of in vitro treatment, your employer is not allowed to send you on a business trip without your written consent.
For larger groups of more than 20 women, the employer must furnish rooms for personal hygiene and rest rooms for pregnant women.
If the work performed is not suitable for your condition, according to the prescription of the health authorities (personal physician, medical advisory committee, TEMC, NEMC), the employer is obliged to temporarily employ you. For example, reducing working hours, providing a workplace with fresh air and light, not lifting heavy objects, etc.
In the event that the adjustment of working conditions is technically and/or objectively unfeasible or is not justified to be required due to the very nature of your work, the employer will have to transfer you to another suitable job.
Until the transfer order is fulfilled, the pregnant woman is released from the obligation to perform the unsuitable work, and the employer will have to pay her compensation. You will also receive such compensation when your remuneration is lower than what you received before employment.
Without prior permission from the Labor Inspectorate, the employer has no right to fire you if you are pregnant or the mother of a child under 3 years old. If you take maternity leave, you can only be fired if the company is closed.
With notice, you can be fired with the prior permission of the Labor Inspectorate only if:
- closing the company;
- refusal to follow the company or division in which you work when it moves to another place;
- when the position held by you must be vacated in order to reinstate an illegally dismissed worker or employee who previously held the same position;
- objective impossibility of fulfilling the employment contract - for example, when they can neither move you to another suitable job, nor soften the conditions of the one you already have.
You can be fired without notice when:
- be detained for the execution of a sentence;
- be disciplinary dismissed, with the prior permission of the Labor Inspectorate.
You have the following rights when breastfeeding:
- until your baby is 8 months old, you are entitled to 1 hour twice a day or 2 consecutive hours of paid leave for a full working day of 8 hours;
- when breastfeeding twins or a premature child, 3 hours of paid leave per day are taken until the child reaches the age of 8 months, and then 2 hours per day until this is necessary at the discretion of the health authorities.
Medical rights
Pregnant women have the right to a consultative examination with an obstetrician-gynecologist, which includes free obstetric ultrasound, Pap smear, microbiological examination, a second ultrasound examination by an obstetrician-gynecologist during the 16-20th week of pregnancy. In addition, at the first visit to the doctor, they are also entitled to the following free medical-diagnostic services: determination of blood group and Rh-factor; test for syphilis, hepatitis B, HIV, hemoglobin, erythrocytes, leukocytes, hematocrit, MCV, MCH, ESR, urine (sediment).
Some of these tests may be repeated in the following months at the doctor's discretion. In laboratories, only a fee is paid for the collection of biological material, regardless of the number of tests.
In addition, the pregnant woman has the right to one additional free preventive examination at the dentist and home visits for treatment and manipulations if there is a problem with the pregnancy.
Maternity leave and compensation
Paid maternity leave lasts 410 days. Curiously, this is one of the longest paid holidays in the world. For comparison, in other EU countries it varies between 6 months and a year, and in the USA it is 3 months). Fathers in our country are entitled to 15 days of paid leave upon birth or adoption.
Towards the end of the pregnancy, it is time to apply for leave. Before the due date of birth, 45 days of leave must be used. However, when the child is born before the expiry of these 45 days from the start of the leave, then the remaining days are used after the birth.
Maternity leave is paid and is recognized as work experience. In the first year, 90% of the average gross remuneration, on which insurance contributions have been paid or payable, is received for the period of 24 calendar months before the pregnancy leave, but only if there is 12 months of accumulated total insurance experience for this risk. These funds are not paid by the employer, but by the National Social Security Institute. For this purpose, all mandatory insurance contributions must be paid.
The minimum compensation is in the amount of the current minimum monthly salary. In case of early return to work (after 135 days from the birth), the mother has the right to continue receiving 50% of the benefit.
Mothers are entitled to additional leave for raising their first, second and third child until they reach the age of 2 and 6 months for each subsequent child after using leave due to pregnancy, childbirth or adoption. Adoptive parents are entitled to 365 days of leave when adopting a child up to the age of 5, starting from the date of adoption.
With the consent of the mother, this leave can also be used by the father, when the mother decides that she does not have the opportunity or does not want to be absent from the workplace. In such cases, he has the right to transfer the leave to the father of the child or to one of their parents, who has an employment contract at his workplace.
18.01.2023
LIFE IN ROMANIA BECAME BETTER THAN IN HUNGARY AND ATTRACTED INVESTORS FLEEING THE WAR
Romania's economy is expected to outpace its stagnant neighbors this year, helped by funding from the European Union, currency stability and foreign investment, driven in part by business pulling away from Russia and Ukraine.
The International Monetary Fund expects GDP growth of 3.1% in Romania, but even if only the European Commission's forecast of 1.8% growth comes true, Bucharest would be well ahead of Poland, whose economy is expected to grow by 0.7%, or Hungary, which is struggling with economic slowdown and skyrocketing inflation.
Romania has put behind it a decade in which it had the glory of being one of the poorest countries in Europe, beset by high corruption, and is emerging as the second largest economy in Eastern Europe after Poland.
Romanians' incomes are already 74% of Europeans
According to the latest Eurostat data, GDP per capita expressed as purchasing power was 74% of the EU average in 2021, an increase of 21% since 2010.
The average Romanian would spend about 20 months of his net income to buy a new Dacia Jogger, as much as in the traditionally wealthier Hungary.
The transformation has been achieved despite Romania's history of political instability - the last government fall was in 2021.
Romania's prospects are supported by its EU membership and good relations with Brussels.
As Budapest and Warsaw haggle with the EU over the rule of law related to billions in pandemic recovery funds, Romania has already drawn down more than €6 billion in grants and cheap loans.
Prime Minister Nicolae Chuka said the government aims to use more than 10 billion euros a year, equivalent to about 4 percent of the country's GDP. Romania has around €90 billion in EU funding until 2027.
Progress on justice reforms led the European Commission to recommend in November the abolition of the special justice monitoring mechanism it has applied to Romania (and Bulgaria) since it joined the EU in 2007.
"Provided that all the anti-corruption measures in the (recovery funds) plan are properly implemented, Romania can become an example of good governance in the region," an EU official said.
S&P, which like other rating agencies has its lowest investment grade rating on Romania pending a reduction in the fiscal deficit, said Bucharest was firmly on track to make progress on reforms agreed to secure key recovery funds.
Wages in Romania have overtaken those in Hungary
The stability of the leu is another factor, especially compared to the Hungarian forint, which hit record lows last year. Higher wages across the border have already led some Hungarians to seek work in industrialized western Romania.
An investment magnet
Companies moving from Russia and Ukraine to nearby low-cost manufacturing centers partly helped boost foreign direct investment to 9.39 billion euros in January-October, a record for the years since Romania joined the EU.
A 2022 Ernst&Young survey showed that more than half of 101 foreign companies plan to set up or expand operations in Romania, mostly in supply chains and logistics, ranking it fourth in Europe in terms of investment intent.
The Ministry of Small Business and Entrepreneurship told Reuters it was monitoring five possible relocation projects from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine worth about 705 million euros.
Among them, Finland's Nokian Tires plans to invest 650 million euros by 2024 in a tire factory in Oradea in northwestern Romania, a wealthy region bordering impoverished parts of Hungary.
"It was clear that Oradea was the best choice for our new factory," Palvi Antola, who heads the investor relations department, told Reuters. She added that Nokian reviewed more than 40 relocation targets, looking at the availability of a skilled workforce, logistical advantages, green energy sources and rail access.
Obstacles to the economy remain Romania's large current account deficit, an aging population and a chronic bureaucracy that thwarts infrastructure development. Regional disparities are huge, with some rural areas still off the grid, while in bustling Bucharest living standards exceed those of the former East Germany.
18.01.2023
THE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY REPORTED 4.7% UNEMPLOYMENT FOR DECEMBER
The 4.7% unemployment reported by the Employment Agency's administrative statistics for the last month of 2022 registered the lowest value of the indicator for December. The decline in terms of annual dynamics continues - in this case by 0.1 percentage points. This is reported by the Employment Agency.
The number of unemployed people who started work in the last month of 2022 is 9,938. 154 persons from the groups of pensioners, students and employed persons also found work through the labor offices, the Employment Agency informs.
In December, the largest share of those who started work in the processing industry sector - 18.1%, followed by those in trade - 16.8%, hotels and restaurants - 12.6%, state administration - 6.4%, human health care and social work - 6.4%, construction - 5.1% and others, the agency further specifies.
At the end of the month, the registered unemployed at the labor offices totaled 153,944, which is an increase of 8,513 persons more than those reported in November. Newly registered in December were 26,413 - 2,669 more than the previous month. Another 411 people from the groups of jobseekers employed, students and pensioners also registered at the labor offices during the month, the Employment Agency reports.
The data also show that 1,770 unemployed people from the risk groups were assigned to subsidized jobs during the month - 76 under employment programs and measures and 1,694 - under the schemes of the Operational Program "Development of Human Resources". In December, 179 unemployed and employed persons were included in various trainings, and 416 completed the training started in previous months, acquiring a new profession or key competence.
Claimed jobs on the primary labor market in December were 5,542. The largest number of job vacancies in the real economy were claimed in manufacturing (20.5%), followed by government (16.6%); hotel and catering (11.6%), trade (11.2%), education (8.5%) and administrative and auxiliary activities (4.8%), according to the Employment Agency.
According to statistics, the most sought-after occupations by businesses in the same month are: staff caring for people; personnel employed in the field of personal services; sellers; waste collection and related workers; workers in the mining and processing industries, construction and transport; machine operators of stationary machinery and equipment; metallurgists, machine builders and related workers and artisans; drivers of motor vehicles and mobile equipment; teachers; cleaners and helpers etc.
The Employment Agency reminds that the unemployment rate is defined as the share of registered unemployed persons from the economically active population aged 15 - 64 years, established in the 2011 Census.
The reported unemployment rate in November was 4.4%.
17.01.2023
JOB POSTINGS DOWN
December 2022 saw just under 28,000 job postings, down 33% (nearly 14,000 fewer) from November. This is shown by the monthly analysis of a leading career site in Bulgaria (JobTiger).
In the last quarter of last year, the drop was as much as 43%, and it was most noticeable in the last month of 2022.
On an annual basis, however, the number of listings is still 5% higher than in the last month of 2021.
The company that conducted the survey notes that the drastic drop in job offers is not unusual for the last month of the year. Christmas and New Year holidays usually cause work processes to be delayed or suspended for 10-15 days, including recruitment processes.
December saw a solid decline in job postings in every single sector, with the largest decrease in the number of offers in the "Trade and Sales" sector - a drop in postings by 3,360 or 35% compared to November. It is followed by the sectors "Manufacturing" and "Administrative and service activities" (decreases by 36 each), "Hospitality and restaurants" (by 29%), the "IT" sector (by 21%), "Logistics and transport" (by 29%), "Construction" (down 39%), "Health & Pharmacy" (down 33%), "Accounting, Audit, Finance" (down 28%) and "Marketing & Advertising" (down 25%).
On a year-on-year basis, December still saw an increase in job postings in almost all sectors except "IT", where, similar to global trends, there was a drop in job offers by as much as 27% compared to the last month of 2021.
In terms of the share distribution of advertisements by sector, the first place is the "Trade and Sales" sector (with 22%), followed by the "IT" (with 15.3%) and "Production" sectors (with 14.9%).
Like the total number of listings, offers for work from home and/or telecommuting also fell by roughly a third (by 30%). They are about 1,400 fewer than in November and their total number equals about 3,400 or 14.3% of all listings. As a distribution by sector, 66% of this type of proposals are in the "IT" sector, followed by "Administrative and service activities" (13%), the sectors of the outsourcing industry (12%) and "Trade and sales" (5%).
The same trend is observed in the leading regional cities - the total number of advertisements in them has decreased by 33%. The drop in offers in each of them is as follows: Sofia (-32%), Plovdiv (-36%), Varna (-37%), Burgas (-33%), Ruse (-31%) and Stara Zagora (-26%). The number of job offers as share distribution is: Sofia (48%), Plovdiv (10%), Varna (7%), Burgas (3%), Ruse (3%) and Stara Zagora (3%).
The number of job postings suitable for refugees fell by 33% in November - about 700 fewer offers. The total number of this type of ads is about 1,350, which is a 6% share of all ads.
Despite a solid decline in job postings in December, the past year 2022 saw a more active and stable labor market than the previous 2020 and 2021, the analysis of the leading career site concludes.
In total, about 566,000 offers were published last year (including duplicate positions on a monthly basis), which is 14% (just over 69,000) more than in 2021.
Despite the dynamics of recent months, each of the sectors reported growth in listings in 2022. It was greatest in the Hospitality & Restaurant sector (with 16,700 more listings or 25% growth), which managed to recover supply levels from the pre-pandemic period.
After this drastic (albeit usual) drop in job offers in December, JobTiger's expectations are that the first month of the new year will see another surge in job offers.
17.01.2023
WHEN DO WE SUBMIT TAX RETURNS?
The 2023 tax campaign began on January 10, and from that date the filing of income declarations for natural persons began electronically, by mail and in the offices of the revenue agency, the NRA announced.
At the beginning of March 2023, after the submission of the data by employers and payers of income, the e-service for access to the pre-filled income declaration, which is submitted with a PIC or an electronic signature through the Portal for electronic services of the NRA, will be launched.
It can automatically enter data on income received in 2022 from employment relationships, civil contracts and royalties, rental income for properties whose tenants are legal entities, and others.
The deadline for using the 5% discount for early online declaration and payment is March 31, and the deadline for declaring income and paying the tax due on the total annual tax base this year is May 2, the first working day after April 30, the revenue agency office reminds.
Persons operating as traders, sole traders and farmers who have chosen this tax system submit their declarations from March 1 to June 30.
This is the period in which companies must also declare corporate tax (Article 92 of the Law on Corporate Income Taxation), tax on expenses, tax on the income of budget enterprises, as well as tax on the activity of operating ships. The deadline for paying these taxes is June 30.
Additional information on tax and insurance requirements can be obtained on the website of the revenue agency: www.nap.bg and on the telephones of the Information Center of the National Revenue Agency: 02/9859 6801 or 0700 18 700 at a price, according to the tariffs of the relevant operator.
16.01.2023
HOW BENEFITS FOR SINGLE OLD PEOPLE, DISABLED PEOPLE AND ORPHANS ARE CHANGING IN 2023
Single old people over 75 without income will receive BGN 207.90 from June 1 this year. Under the same conditions, access to benefits for people over 65 is BGN 176.40. BGN 83.16 will be received by those who are cohabiting or in a family and for each of the spouses.
With the introduction of the poverty line of BGN 504 as a basis for determining benefits, the circle of people who will receive them will be expanded and their amount will increase.
It will be updated every year along with the poverty line. People with disabilities, children, the elderly and their families receive assistance. Their number is expected to grow from 63 thousand in 2022 to 115 thousand in 2025, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy announced.
Income
The basis for determining the differentiated minimum income until now was the guaranteed minimum income of BGN 75. Now the guaranteed minimum income will be 25% of the poverty line, i.e. BGN 126.
The EC expects that by 2024, monthly social benefits will not be lower than 30% of the poverty line. The requirement is also included in the Recovery and Resilience Plan as a recommendation from Brussels. The differentiated minimum income is determined depending on the number of family members and the number of persons living in one dwelling. It is also related to the age, marital status, health and property status of the persons concerned.
Base
Monthly benefits for disabled people depend on the percentage of disability. For those with 50%, the basis on which the aid will be calculated is BGN 126. For 70% and over 70%, the threshold is BGN 157.50. Orphans up to 16 years of age, and if they are studying - until completing secondary education, but not more than 20 years, from BGN 82.50 it becomes BGN 126. If the child is placed in a family of relatives and friends or in a foster family, the aid is also BGN 126.
Children aged 4 to 16 who study but are allowed to make 5 or more unexcused absences for the relevant month or more than 3 days without good reasons from preschool education will receive less. The monthly allowance for them will still be higher compared to last year, when the threshold was BGN 24.75, but it is significantly lower than that of those who regularly attend school or kindergarten, because it is BGN 37.80. For 16-year-olds who do not study, it is calculated on BGN 25.20. For those who do not have immunizations and preventive examinations or if a personal doctor has not been selected, the amount is also BGN 37.80.
For a child with a permanent disability, the monthly allowance will be BGN 126 from June, the current amount is BGN 82.50. Single parents of a child under 3 will receive BGN 151.20, which is BGN 50 more. After that, if he studies, until he turns 16 he will receive BGN 126. A parent raising a child up to the age of 18 who does not study will receive BGN 25.20 per month. If he still goes to school, but has 5 unexcused absences , the monthly allowance is BGN 37.80. For pregnant women, 45 days before childbirth and a parent raising a child up to 3 years old - BGN 126 is the basis of the differentiated minimum income.
Examples
If in 2022 a person over 65 lives alone and the access limit was BGN 115.50, then after June 1, 2023 this limit will already be BGN 176.40. If he is not entitled to a social pension for old age , this will also be the amount of the monthly allowance, in the absence of other income, explains the Ministry of Health and Welfare. When for a person with a disability of 70 and over 70 percent the access limit was BGN 103.50, from June it will be BGN 157.50, which will be the amount of the monthly allowance.
The limit for receiving aid for an orphan up to the age of 16, provided that he studies until the completion of the 12th grade, but no more than the age of 20, was until now the guaranteed minimum income of BGN 75. Now this limit will be BGN 114.66. and this will be the amount of social assistance. If last year for a child with a permanent disability, up to the age of 18, the access limit was BGN 82.50, then after June 1 this limit will be BGN 126 and the increased amount will be included in the aid the family will receive.
Means
The increase in the funds set aside in the budget for 2025, with which the increased social benefits will be paid, is almost triple, compared to those in the financial framework for 2022. The money for monthly support of vulnerable groups will increase from BGN 37.80 to BGN 126.44 after two years.
A shorter penalty for those who took money without a right
People who have received social assistance for which they are not entitled, it is taken away from them for a certain period of time. The solution is to reduce the terms of the restrictions in cases where this is done due to ignorance or due to various life situations. The term of deprivation of social benefits for a period of no longer than two years becomes no longer than one year, specified by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy. The penalty is also reduced when unemployed people receiving social benefits refuse to participate in employment programs. In these cases, the period of deprivation of social benefits is reduced from 1 year to 6 months.
363,890 households with money for heating
300,290 families received money for heating for the winter in the amount of BGN 300, and the money paid was BGN 157,216,829. The households also received the additional BGN 100, which was allocated by a decree of the Council of Ministers. BGN 6.5 million was allocated by the same ministerial decree, as heating funds were taken by another 16,268 households, whose incomes were at the limit and barely included in the norm. With another second decree, another 47,332 families provided themselves with warmth, for which the state allocated just under BGN 14.2 million. A total of BGN 207,952,629 for 363,890 households.
13.01.2023
PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON UPDATING THE CEILINGS OF COSTS OF PROJECTS FINANCED BY THE "INTERREG V-A ROMANIA - BULGARIA" PROGRAM 2014 - 2020
Deadline for participation: until 20.01.2023
The current list is available here: https://www.interregrobg.eu/en/rules-of-implementation/programme-rules/ceilings.html.
Your proposals can be sent to sc@calarasicbc.ro until the 20th of January 2023. For amendment proposals, please attach the following:
For more information, visit https://interregrobg.eu
13.01.2023
ACCORDING TO THE 2021 CENSUS, THE POPULATION OF ROMANIA IS 19.05 MILLION PEOPLE, THE PROCESS OF DEMOGRAPHIC AGING IS DEEPENING
Romania's population is 19.05 million, of which 9.8 million - 51.5 percent - are women, according to the first preliminary data for the 2021 population and housing census, the National Statistics Institute (NSI) reports.
9.941 million people - 52.2 percent of the total population - live in urban environments.
According to NSI, the process of demographic aging has deepened compared to 10 years ago (the 2011 census) and the share of the elderly population (65 and over) is increasing.
The demographic aging index depreciated by almost 20 percentage points, increasing to 121.2 older people per 100 young people (Census 2021) compared to 101.8 (Census 2011). Although the number of young people (under 15) fell by 115,700, their share of the total population rose slightly to 16.1 percent (up from 15.9 percent in Census 2011), while people aged 65 and over have increased by almost half a million people, correspondingly their share has increased by 3.5 percentage points (from 16.1 percent in the 2011 census to 19.6 percent in the 2021 census).
Compared to the permanent population recorded in the previous census (2011), Romania lost 1.1 million inhabitants. Out of 42 counties (including Bucharest Municipality) in 39 counties the population has decreased. The exceptions are Ilfov county, whose population increased by 153,900 people, and Bistrica-Nasaud and Suceava counties, which recorded an increase of 9,800 and 7,700 inhabitants, respectively.
Ethnicity information is available for 16.5 million people (out of a total of 19.05 million people who make up the permanent population of Romania). 14.8 million people (89.3 percent) declared themselves Romanian. The ethnic Hungarian population recorded in the census was 1.002 million (6 percent), and the number of self-identified Roma was 569,500 (3.4 percent). The ethnic groups for which more than 20,000 people are registered are: Ukrainians (45,800 people), Germans (22,900 people) and Turks (20,900 people).
16.551 million people have declared their mother tongue and according to their data the structure of the population according to mother tongue is as follows: 91.6 percent with Romanian as mother tongue, 6.3% with Hungarian as mother tongue.
16.397 million people have declared their religion and the data show that 85.3 percent are Orthodox; 4.5 percent identify as Roman Catholic, 3 percent as Reformed, and 2.5 percent as Pentecostal. Burdens between 0.4% and 0.8% were recorded by the following religions: Greek Catholic (0.7%), Baptist (0.6%), Seventh-day Adventist, and Muslim at 0.4% each.
Almost half of the population of Romania (47.9 percent) are legally married. 4.495 million men and 4.629 million women are married. Two out of five people have never been married, and widows make up 5.2 percent of the total population.
43.5 percent of Romania's population has a secondary level of education (high school, post-secondary, vocational or technical education), 40.5 percent has a lower level (primary, primary or no education) and 16 percent has a higher level. In the 2021 census, 143,600 people were illiterate (compared to 245,400 in the 2011 census).
Romania's active population is 8.185 million people, consisting of 7.689 million employed and 496,100 unemployed. The inactive population includes 10.868 million people, of whom pensioners and people on welfare make up two fifths (39.5 per cent) and schoolchildren and students almost a third (32 per cent).
The 2021 census was the 13th consecutive in the country's history and the first to be conducted entirely in digital format. The entire process of data collection was conducted under the assurance of confidentiality and full protection of information.
12.01.2023
FINANCIAL NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS AND HOW TO KEEP THEM
A New Year's resolution is a promise a person makes to start doing something good or stop doing something bad at the beginning of the year. For example, eating healthier and quitting smoking. And how about a promise to save more and clear all loans? If you haven't made any financial New Year's resolutions yet, here are some good ideas.
Review last year's financial mistakes and successes
You can't plan for the future if you don't analyze your past. Review your old bank and credit card statements and see where you stand now. What financial mistakes did you make last year? And what financial achievements make you proud?
Set financial goals and write them down
After reviewing your past financial mistakes and successes, make a list of your financial goals for the new year. They can be overarching, big goals or smaller, specific goals. Whatever you want to achieve, write your goals down somewhere you can see them every day. This will motivate you to not give up when you encounter a difficulty along the way.
Start budgeting
Now that you know what financial goals you want to achieve this year, create a budget to make them happen. How much money do you make each month and how much of it goes to household expenses, child care, commuting, entertainment, clothing, paying off debt, etc.? Calculate your finances carefully and then create a plan of action. Track your spending throughout the month and adjust your budget when needed.
Change your spending habits
Once you've determined what amounts you'll allocate to each category, think about how you spend your money on a typical day. Do you buy coffee every morning? Do you go out once a week for lunch/dinner? Are you paying for services you (almost) don't use? Do you grocery shop without a list? Do you shop online when you're bored? Assess your spending habits and then commit to changing at least one of the bad habits that "eat" your money.
Pay fast, buy slowly
To protect your finances, always follow one simple rule: pay fast and buy slowly. Pay your bills as soon as they come in to avoid late fees and to know exactly how much money you'll have left. And adopt a slower spending approach to reduce impulse purchases and improve rational thinking. This can be done by applying a "pause" between the time you first wish to buy something and the time you actually buy it.
Pay off your credit card balance in full
If you can't pay off your balance in full, at least aim to make more than the minimum payment. Make sure you have the required amount in your bank account before making purchases with your credit card. This will help you break the endless cycle of working to pay off your credit card while adding more expenses to it. Avoid opening new credit cards unless you're sure you'll be able to manage them responsibly.
Talk about finances with your loved ones
To ensure you stay on track this year, seek support from your family and friends. Share your financial goals with them and discuss together how they can help you achieve them – whether that's going out less, choosing more affordable entertainment, or simply being a 'spotter' to keep them updated on your progress. You may also consider the services of a financial advisor.
Take a financial literacy course
Expanding your financial literacy is one of the best investments you can make for yourself this year. Learning more about money management, debt, credit, budgeting, retirement, etc. will help you not only now, but for years to come. You can start by picking up a personal finance book from your local library or educating yourself through various online sources.
Create an emergency fund and build it over time
If there's one thing the past few years have taught us, it's the importance of having some sort of savings or emergency fund. As a general rule, you should have money for 3-6 months ahead. But if you currently have no savings at all, don't try to accumulate the entire amount at once. A great strategy is to open a savings account where a portion of your paycheck is automatically deposited each month. That way, before you start paying your bills, you'll pay yourself first.
Start investing
Investing goes hand in hand with the "pay yourself first" decision. While it may not be the easiest step on this list, investing is one of the best ways to build your wealth. Set a monthly plan to invest x BGN every month and stick to it, regardless of what happens in the markets. There is plenty of information out there with plenty of guidance on building an investment portfolio for beginners. Financial experts advise investing with a longer-term mindset.
And now is the time to make financial promises to yourself and start keeping them strictly to end the year in the best possible way. Be careful not to set too many or unrealistic financial goals. Otherwise, you may not be able to complete any of them. It's a good idea to keep a checklist to track how you're doing throughout the year so you can make any necessary changes in time.
