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.
12.01.2023
THE FUND OF FUNDS WILL MANAGE A PUBLIC RESOURCE IN THE AMOUNT OF BGN 2 BILLION.
During the next program period until 2027, "Fund Manager of Financial Instruments in Bulgaria" EAD (Fund of Funds) will manage BGN 2 billion of public resources. A significant amount of private co-financing will be added to it, with which the financial resources can reach BGN 4 billion. This was stated by Nikolay Genchev, a member of the newly appointed Supervisory Board of the Fund of Funds, whose principal is the Ministry of Innovation and Growth.
Since its establishment in 2015, the Fund has supported over 2,500 projects of companies and municipalities. Behind them are equity investments in over 200 innovative startups, nearly 700 microloans for small businesses and social enterprises, almost BGN 500,000 in credit financing for regional and municipal projects, BGN 540 million for 1,300 small and medium-sized enterprises to overcome the consequences from the Covid-19 pandemic, etc.
There are nearly BGN 600 million of free resources from the old program period for financing businesses and municipalities in various forms. The remaining funds to be used next year are BGN 200 million for equity investments through the five funds that are in the system of the Ministry of Innovation and Growth, BGN 200 million for debt financing through the seven banks with which The fund works, BGN 150 million for financing municipal projects, BGN 75 million for agriculture, about BGN 120 million for municipalities, as well as a significant resource for business microcredits.
To access this resource, beneficiaries should visit the website of the Fund of Funds (Fund Manager of Financial Instruments in Bulgaria|FMFIB) and contact its experts who will direct them to the appropriate instruments, banks or fund managers. In addition to the listed beneficiaries who can receive support from the Fund, it can provide assistance, through a financial intermediary, and only for an idea of a person who still wants to develop his own business. Funding can start from 50,000 euros and reach up to 1 million euros. In this way, more than 200 startups in Bulgaria have already been financed.
"During the current program period, the Fund has a total of BGN 1.2 billion in public resources (European and national) and another BGN 1 billion in private co-financing, or a total of BGN 2.2 billion, which have already reached the final are beneficiaries," Genchev also pointed out.
He emphasized that in order for companies, municipalities, startups and other possible beneficiaries to use this resource, they should ask at the bank branches of the banks serving them about the instruments of the Fund of Funds, as well as read more on the Fund's website.
The task of the Fund of Funds is to structure and manage financial instruments under the various European programs. The final beneficiaries of the funds received from the Fund can be, in addition to various businesses - start-ups, small, large, expanding, as well as municipalities, regions, water and sanitation companies throughout the country, agricultural producers, small and family businesses, etc.
A large part of the Fund of Funds resource for the new operational period was provided by the Ministry of Innovation and Growth under the program "Innovation and Competitiveness in Enterprises". The money will be invested in the form of various financial instruments to support businesses, municipalities, farmers, startups, etc.
12.01.2023
KAUFLAND GIVES SCHOLARSHIPS TO AMATEUR BEEKEEPERS
Enrollment for the new academic year at the first amateur school for beekeepers - "Beekeeping University", which is running its second edition in our country with the support of the "green" retailer Kaufland Bulgaria, runs until February 9. The aim of the project is to promote beekeeping in our country and to train a new generation of modern beekeepers. The initiative is implemented by "Real Honey".
The new edition of "Beekeeping University" offers three training courses - from a fully online course to real-time lectures and hands-on training from professional beekeepers in the field. The number of students who will be admitted to each of them is unlimited, and registration is done through the university's website.
Applicants can receive scholarships for their studies, some of which are provided by Kaufland. Full information about the study program, the participation fee and enrollment deadlines can be found on the university's website: https://istinskimed.bg/bee-university.
The flexible training format - the possibilities for online meetings, "live" talks and practical training, allows to learn the subtleties related to the cultivation of these extremely interesting and useful insects. The training includes all mandatory topics from the beekeeping literature, but also adds topics on the application of new technologies in beekeeping. The lecturers at the university are experienced beekeepers, teachers and scientists from Bulgaria and abroad. Thus, the school gives amateur beekeepers a chance to become professionals, which are not available in Bulgaria at the moment.
Kaufland Bulgaria recognizes the cause of promoting beekeeping as part of its commitment to protecting biodiversity and bees. The company has a targeted policy to reduce and avoid pesticides in growing flowers and plants and works with its suppliers to use mostly organic preparations. The chain includes bee-friendly seeds and plants in its assortment.
11.01.2023
JANUARY 11 - INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE WORD "THANK YOU!"
On today's date, many countries around the world celebrate the International Day of the most beautiful word - "Thank you!". A wonderful occasion to express our gratitude to family, friends, colleagues and anyone who made our day better.
Experts say that words of gratitude can warm and calm people mentally. As long as they are spoken from the heart, of course.
Receiving a "Thank you" after a favor or good deed automatically makes us feel better. So don't forget to reward anyone who earns the magic word.
Scientists believe that verbal, written or ritual expressions of gratitude have a profound positive effect on us. Just saying the word "thank you" releases feel-good chemicals in our body, such as dopamine and serotonin, which make us feel happy and relaxed.
Both the person expressing their gratitude and the one to whom we thank feel the beneficial influence of oxytocin, the love hormone that is abundant in the bodies of couples in love.
"If gratitude were a drug, it would be the best-selling drug in the world," says Dr. Murali Doraiswamy of Duke University. "It has a beneficial effect on every important organ in our body."
Stress hormones like cortisol also decrease with the simple act of expressing gratitude. Scientists from the University of "Kent" in the USA have measured the exact effect of expressing this good feeling. Steve Toepfer and his students wrote thank-you letters to their acquaintances, in which they expressed their gratitude for something important in their lives, not just for a gift received or a nice party.
Comparing the "grateful" with the control group of students, who had not thanked anyone for anything, showed that in the former, the level of general satisfaction with life significantly increased, and the symptoms of depression significantly weakened.
However, it is important to express true gratitude, the scientists emphasize - our body recognizes it as a very positive event and responds accordingly with its gratitude to your action. Its "reward" systems are designed to ignore insignificant events as "background noise" but mark the important ones with a strong response that makes us feel happy and lowers the stress that harms our physical health.
"If you want to be happier and healthier, take 15 minutes to write someone a thank-you note," advises Toepfer. This is how you direct your brain's attention to the thought that something good has happened. This will cause it to respond with a wave of neurotransmitters – chemicals that help our body know whether we are feeling good or bad.
The effect is so significant that it can be used in the treatment of mild to moderate depression, Doraiswamy claims. Simple politeness causes our brains to make us "happy" with a dose of pleasure hormones.
11.01.2023
BGN 117 MILLION FOR FAMILY BUSINESSES UNDER THE NEW COMPETITIVENESS PROGRAM
As early as January 2023, the Ministry of Innovation and Growth will launch applications for grants for the modernization of family businesses and companies from the creative industries and crafts.
It will be possible under the procedure for Improving the production capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises worth over BGN 117 million. It is under the "Competitiveness and Innovations in Enterprises" Program.
The procedure will be aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises and, more precisely, family businesses - enterprises that are owned by more than one family member. Eligible expenses will be aimed at acquiring machinery, equipment, equipment and software related to the production goals of the enterprises.
The application will only be made electronically through the ISUN system.
