Labor Shortages Persist Across Industries in Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, the search for skilled professionals continues to be a pressing concern, with machine operators, tailors, and cooks emerging as the most sought-after professionals with vocational qualifications. Meanwhile, nurses, doctors, and teachers remain in high demand among those with higher education or legal qualifications, reflecting ongoing challenges within crucial sectors of the economy.

As the first three months of the year draw to a close, a clearer picture of the labor market's dynamics in the previous year is beginning to emerge. Despite the absence of major crises, labor shortages persist, presenting a persistent and unevenly distributed challenge.

Data from the Employment Agency indicates that over half of employers in Bulgaria faced difficulties in finding suitable employees over the past year, with nearly 40% citing a lack of qualified or educated personnel as the primary reason. The Institute of Market Economy's analysis further confirms this trend, revealing that the number of vacant job positions exceeded the number of job seekers by 110,000.

The shortage of labor is particularly acute in the industry, where nearly a third of all vacancies are currently located. Additionally, sectors such as trade, transport, hotels, and restaurants are experiencing growing shortages, attributed to their recovery following the pandemic. Other areas facing deficits include state administration, education, and healthcare.

Among qualified specialists, machine operators top the list of sought-after professionals, followed by tailors and cooks. In the realm of higher education and legal qualifications, nurses are in the highest demand, followed closely by doctors and teachers.

Geographically, labor demand varies, with Burgas leading in unfilled job positions, followed by Sofia and Varna. Plovdiv, previously known for labor shortages, has now dropped to fourth place due to emerging needs in tourism, trade, and transport.

In 2023, the healthcare and social work sectors saw the most new employment, while administrative activities experienced a decline, attributed to changes in the outsourcing industry. Pleven witnessed the most significant increase in employment, while Targovishte faced a noticeable decline.

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