Youth Unemployment Accounts for 1/5 of Bulgaria's Jobless - Govt Data

Young opposition Socialists protesting against the GERB Cabinet's failure to tackle youth unemployment in Gabrovo, Northern Bulgaria. File photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's youth unemployment (referring to persons aged under 29) made up 21.5% of the total number of jobless people in the country at the end of October 2012, according to official figures from the State Employment Agency released Monday.

According to the Agency, a total of 77 738 people below 29 years of age were registered as unemployed by its offices; pundits have been suggesting that the actual number of unemployed youth in Bulgaria is considerably higher.

The Bulgarian Employment Agency does state, however, that in the first 10 months of 2012 almost 10 000 youth have found some form of employment in government-funded or EU-funded programs or internships.

For example, a total of 1 500 young people got 9-month paid internships at state institutions under the Career Start Program, while 2 000 got employment under temporary government job programs. Another 6 400 were involved in other government-sponsored employment options.

Over 25 000 Bulgarian youth have been hired by private employers around the country in January-October 2012, according to government data.

Bulgaria's government plans to sponsor employment measures for 5 000 people aged below 29 in 2013, while another 8 400 are expected to be included in training and employment programs funded from EU Operational Program "Human Resources" worth a total of BGN 53 M.

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