Bulgaria Loses 15% of Industrial Jobs in Four Years,

Between 2019 and 2023, Bulgaria’s industrial sector has experienced a significant contraction, with roughly 104,557 jobs lost, nearly half of them in the processing industry, amounting to almost 15% of the country’s industrial workforce. The Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) presented these figures on the occasion of the European Day of Action in Industry, highlighting that the rate of job losses places Bulgaria among the highest in Europe.

The union noted that the downward trend continued into 2024, with an additional nearly 13,000 positions disappearing. Many enterprises and factories have either shut down or are in the process of closure, directly impacting industrial employment. Plamen Dimitrov, president of CITUB, acknowledged some sectoral variations: while the arms industry has recorded growth in production and profits, coal mining has faced a catastrophic 50% decline in recent years. Other industries, such as chemicals and metals, are also struggling, with metal production shrinking by over 30%, whereas machinery production shows some positive momentum.

Despite historically low unemployment in Bulgaria, Dimitrov warned that overall employment in industry has fallen sharply over the last four to five years, with no signs of a reversal. Although investment has been occurring, it has been slow and insufficient to compensate for the loss of production and markets. He pointed out that economic trends in Germany have had a direct negative influence on Bulgaria over the past three years, exacerbating the industrial decline.

Dimitrov emphasized the need for Bulgaria to avoid isolation and a divided Europe, arguing that such a scenario would harm the country’s industrial base. He called for an active industrial policy focused not merely on exporting raw materials but on developing production with added value. Central to this strategy, he argued, is the need for accessible and affordable electricity, criticizing current energy solutions as unsustainable, particularly in the context of an extended budget.