The outbreak of COVID-19 in Bulgaria at the end of the first quarter of 2020 has caused the economic situation and short-term GDP growth outlook to deteriorate strongly. The measures taken to limit the spread and transmission of COVID-19 have had a serious adverse impact on economic activity across a number of sectors. The two lockdowns during the year have led to the closure of establishments, causing disruption in transport links and the introduction of checkpoints between large cities, which forced many enterprises, including in the industrial sector, to put their operations on hold. In this situation, the number of unemployed persons has sharply increased. By way of illustration, in the short space of the first two weeks of April the number of newly registered unemployed stood at 25 631 persons (week 30 March to 5 April), increasing to 31 499 persons in the week 6 April to 12 April. For a short period in May, the total number of unemployed persons registered with job centres exceeded 300 000.
However, the relaxation of the lockdown brought in to slow down the spread of COVID-19, coupled with the activation of employment support schemes enabled the flow of unemployed persons newly registered with job centres to be curbed relatively quickly, and the second lockdown did not result in such a dramatic rise in the level of unemployment.
The sharp increase of economic uncertainty is another negative factor that constrained labour market development. This has resulted in lower consumption, suspension of manufacturing and the postponement of investment decisions and has logically also cooled off new job creation. The number of persons who found a job through job centres in April and December 2020, i.e. during the periods of strict lockdown, is at least twice lower [compared to other periods during the year].
These negative trends are corroborated by Q4 2020 data from the labour force survey conducted by the National Statistical Institute (NSI). The economic activity ratio for the age group 15 to 64 years stood at 72.7 %, registering a decrease of 0.3 percentage point compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. The employment ratio for the age group of 15 to 64 years decreased by 1.2 percentage points to 68.8 % as compared to the same quarter of 2019. The unemployment rate stood at 5.2 %, which represents an increase of 1 percentage point as compared to Q4 2019. There were a total of 621 000 unemployed persons in the age group 15 to 64 years, or 5.2 % of all economically active persons in the same age group.
In Q4 2020, the total number of employed persons aged 15 years and more stood at 3 126 900 people. This represents a decrease of 3.0 % as compared to Q4 2019. The relative share of employed persons in the age groups of 15 years and more stood at 52.9 % (59.8 % for men and 46.6 % for women).
According to data published by the National Statistical Institute, as at 31 December 2019 Bulgaria’s population stood at 6 951 482, of whom 3 581 836 (51.5 %) were women and 3 369 646 (48.5 %) were men. The men to women ratio was 1 000 to 1 063.
According to data from the Workforce Survey of the National Statistical Institute, in Q4 2020 there were 3 299 900 economically active persons in Bulgaria, of whom 3 200 400 were in the age group 15 to 64 years. The economic activity rate for the same age group stood at 72.7 %.
In Q4 2020, the number of employed persons aged 15 years or more stood at 3 126 900, of whom 3 029 700 people were in the age group 15 to 64 years. The economic activity rate for the same age group stood at 68.8 %. The largest share and number of employed persons (62.7 % or 1 959 300 persons) worked in the services sector, followed by those employed in the industry sector (30.8 % or 963 600 persons) and in agriculture (6.5 % or 204 000 persons).
Compared to the same quarter of 2019, the number of employed persons decreases in all economic sectors, with the largest decrease of 74 000 people or 3.6 % in the services sector.
Data for Q4 2020 from the workforce survey conducted by the National Statistical Institute indicates a year-on-year decrease in the number of economically active persons in the age group 15 to 64 years (by 57 800 persons), along with a decrease in the number of employed persons in the same age group (by 93 800 persons). The number of unemployed persons in the age group 15 to 64 years increased as compared to figures for the same period of 2019 by 36 000 persons.
The average monthly number of unemployed persons in Bulgaria in the period between January and December 2020 stood at 241 413, which represents an increase of 56 147 persons compared to same period of the previous year.
The average monthly unemployment rate in the first half of 2020, calculated as a share of the economically active population in 2011 (figures are based on the 2011 census), stood at 7.4 %. This was 1.8 percentage points higher than the figure for the same period of 2019.
In 2020, the largest companies in terms of revenue growth in Bulgaria were: Lukoil Neftohim — Burgas, Aurubis Bulgaria (Cumerio Med), Lukoil — Bulgaria, Bulgarian Energy Holding AD, Astra Bioplant, Saksa, Kaufland Bulgaria, Bulgargas, KOZLODUY Nuclear Power Plant, LIDL BULGARIA & CO, Express Logistics and Distribution, Naftex Petrol AD, OMV Bulgaria, CEZ Electro Bulgaria, Litex, Liebherr — Hausgeräte Marica, Mobiltel AD, Vivacom, Telenor, etc.
These include the largest Bulgarian companies operating in the energy sector and the fuel industry, and large retail chains. According to the latest NSI survey 41.0% of non-financial sector companies indicated that they had experienced a decrease in revenue from goods or services sold compared to the previous month due to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, 43.4 % indicated that they did not experience a change in sales and 15.1 % reported an increase.
In terms of employed staff, 25.3% of non-financial enterprises have taken steps to use "paid leave", followed by "unpaid leave" - 20.3%, "teleworking" - 16.4%, and "taking advantage of government measures to support employers" - 10.5% . 8.8% of enterprises undertook redundancies/layoffs. https://www.nsi.bg/sites/default/files/files/pressreleases/ACT_NF2020-12_covid.pdf
In 2020, job centres in Bulgaria advertised 186 741 vacancies on the primary labour market. This represents a decrease of 10 257 in available jobs (5.2 %) compared to the previous year. Demand for workers and employees at the level of job centres was the strongest in areas such as personal services (chefs, waiting and bar staff, hairdressers, beauticians, care workers, entertainers, and others), with a total of 22 416 vacancies advertised in these categories. A large number of job vacancies (15 722) for stationary machine and equipment operators were advertised. There were 14 000 vacancies for workers in the mining and processing industries and 5 656 vacancies for workers in agriculture, forestry and fisheries (gardeners, workers in horticulture and animal husbandry, forest workers, etc.). A great number of vacancies for sales assistants was reported (10 506). The same applied to skilled workers in the manufacturing of food and clothing, timber and related products (11 168) and vacancies for workers in waste collection and related areas (9 206). There was also a considerable number of vacancies for carers (7 834). There were nearly 7 331 vacancies for drivers and mobile equipment operators. 7 381 jobs for metallurgists, machine construction experts and craftsmen in related industries were advertised, along with 5 373 vacancies for security and protection personnel. In the recruitment process, employers gave priority to jobseekers who showed that they are highly skilled, possess strong motivation and have the mindset necessary to acquire new knowledge quickly.
Between January and December 2020, the total number of unemployed persons newly registered with the job centres of the Employment Agency stood at 414 574, i.e. 111 586 persons more than for the same period of 2019. Persons previously engaged in the services sector accounted for the largest share of those dismissed, namely 46.9 % (194 301). These were followed by persons previously engaged in the industry sector — 20.6 % (85 458). The share of persons previously engaged in the agrarian sector (agriculture, forestry and fisheries) and newly registered with job centres remains the lowest at 3.4 % (13 906 persons). A group of 120 908 persons (29.2 % of all newly registered unemployed) did not specify a sector [in which they had previously worked]. This group comprises individuals who completed their secondary or higher education during the same year, economically inactive persons, persons who did not identify the sector from which they had been made redundant or persons who had never previously worked (inactive).
In terms of economic activity, the highest percentage of unemployed persons newly registered with job centres were made redundant in the processing industry (16.2 %), retail and wholesale (13.0 %), hotel and restaurant management (7.6 %) and public administration (7.3 %). These were followed by workers made redundant in construction (3.5 %), transport, warehousing and postal services (2.7 %), agriculture, forestry and fisheries (3.4 %), administrative and support services (2.0 %), etc.
In terms of occupational structure, the largest category of unemployed persons registered with job centres in 2020 remained those without any qualifications or specialisation, with a monthly average of 124 694 persons. This group accounted for 51.7 % of the total unemployment rate, i.e. the figure was 2.1 percentage points lower than in 2019. Most unemployed persons in this group had primary or lower education (76.0 %). They are followed by [the groups of registered] unemployed persons in the categories of blue-collar workers (24.7 %) and specialists (25.0 %). Among specialists, the persons holding degrees in social sciences, economics and law had the highest share among registered unemployed (29.3 %), followed by those holding degrees in engineering and technical sciences (28.5 %), and unemployed persons in the area of services, transport and security and protection services (21.1 %). In terms of educational structure, the unemployed persons registered with job centres in 2020 with primary and lower education accounted for almost half of all persons in this category (38.2 %), their share decreasing by 3.2 percentage points. There was an increase of 1.8 percentage point in the share of unemployed persons with higher education, which stood at 14.9 % of all registered unemployed persons. The relative share of unemployed persons with completed secondary education increased by 4.2 percentage points compared to the same period of the previous year, reaching 46.9 %.
Information sources: administrative statistical data of the Employment Agency, the Workforce Survey conducted by the National Statistical Institute, the Bulgarian National Bank, the Institute for Market Economics,https://money.bg/economics Capital Weeklyhttps://www.capital.bg/k100-2019/.https://www.nsi.bg/bg/node/18120/
Since mid-May 2020, the impact of the crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt on the labour market in the North Central region. This has led to a decrease in employment and a corresponding increase in unemployment. According to National Statistical Institute (NSI) data, the number of economically active persons in the age group 15 to 64 years stood at 345 900 in the fourth quarter of 2020, which constitutes a decrease of 12 400 people compared to the previous year. The share of economically active persons in the North Central Region stood at 72.3 % against the national average of 72.7 %. In terms of economic activity, the North Central Region ranks third after the South West Region (77.5 %) and the North East Region (72.5 %). In Q4 2020, the number of employed persons in the age group 15 to 64 years stood at 324 700, which constitutes a decrease of 19 400 people (or 5.6 %) compared to the same period in the previous year. The employment rate was 67.8 % against the national employment rate of 68.8 %. The number of employed persons decreased in four of the region’s constituent provinces. Razgrad Province registered a decrease of 6 100 persons, Gabrovo Province registered a decrease of 4 500 persons, Silistra Province registered a decrease of 1 100 persons and Veliko Tarnovo Province registered a decrease of 8 800 persons. In Ruse Province, the number of employed persons increased by 900 persons. In Q4 2020, the highest number of employed persons in the age group 15 to 64 years was registered in Veliko Tarnovo Province (107 200) and the lowest number of employed persons in the same age group was registered in Silistra Province (35 000). Similar to the labour markets in the provinces, the labour markets in the individual municipalities are highly differentiated in view of their varying degrees of economic development, the specific features of the demographic processes and the educational level of the economically active population.
Territory — the North Central Region comprises the provinces of Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Ruse, Razgrad and Silistra. It has a surface area of 14 974 square kilometres, which represents 13.5 % of Bulgaria’s territory.
According to NSI data, as at 31 December 2019 the population of the North Central Region stood at 773 450 people or 11.1 % of Bulgaria’s total population. Women accounted for 51.5 % of the population and men for 48.5 %. A total of 67.3 % of the population lived in towns. Veliko Tarnovo Province had the largest population (232 568 people), followed by Ruse Province (215 477 people). The population of the other provinces was considerably lower: 110 789 people in Razgrad province, 108 018 people in Silistra province, and 106 598 people in Gabrovo province. This constituted a decrease of 1.4 % in population size compared to the end of December 2018.
Until mid-March, the labour market of the North Central Region functioned in keeping with the typical trends for the period, notably an increase in labour demand at the beginning of the year, with a decrease registered in February. In March, after a state of emergency was declared due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the inflow of unemployed persons began to increase, peaking at 9 796 persons in April. After the state of emergency ended in May, enterprises began to recover slowly, which led businesses to re-hire some of the workers made redundant. The measures to preserve and promote employment also had a positive impact. More specifically, the 60/40 measure and the following projects implemented under the Human Resources Development 2014 — 2020 Operational Programme: ‘Short-term support for employment in response to the COVID-19 pandemic’, ‘Employment for you’ and ‘Keep my job’. As a result, a trend towards a decrease in the number of registered unemployed persons has been observed since May, which lasted until the end of November. During the year, the total number of newly registered unemployed persons stood at 48 055, which constitutes a 34.3 % year-on-year increase. During the period between the declaration of a state of emergency and the end of December, a total of 14 893 people stated that they had been made redundant due to the COVID-19 pandemic in their registration forms (3 826 in Ruse Province, 3 003 in Veliko Tarnovo Province, 4 116 in Gabrovo Province, 2 234 in Silistra Province and 1 714 in Razgrad Province).
According to administrative statistical data of the Employment Agency, the registered unemployment rate calculated in job centres in the North Central Region in 2020 stood at a monthly average of 29 498 persons, which constitutes a 26.1 % year-on-year increase. The highest unemployment rate was registered in Ruse, with 7 816 unemployed persons, followed by the provinces of Veliko Tarnovo and Razgrad, with 7 515 and 5 643 unemployed persons, respectively. In the remaining two provinces, the number of registered unemployed persons increased to 5 578 (in Silistra Province) and to 2 946 (in Gabrovo Province).
In 2020, the average unemployment rate, calculated in terms of the number of registered unemployed persons as a share of economically active persons in the population in the age group 15 to 64 years (according to 2011 census data) stood at 8.1 % in the North Central Region compared to the national average of 7.4 %. The figure remained lower than the national average in the provinces of Gabrovo (5.4 %) and Veliko Tarnovo (6.9 %). In the remaining provinces, the figures were as follows: 7.6 % in Ruse Province, 10.8 % in Razgrad Province and 12.3 % in Silistra Province.
The Workforce Survey conducted by the National Statistical Institute revealed that the number of unemployed persons in the age group 15 to 64 in the North Central Region stood at 21 200 in Q4 2020, which represents an year-on-year increase of 7 000 persons. The unemployment rate [in the region] was 6.1 % against the national unemployment rate of 5.3 %. The unemployment rates were lower in the South Central Region (3.5 %), the South West Region (4.0 %) and the South East Region (4.1 %).
The companies of structural importance for the economy and the developing companies in the region operate in the following sectors: food and beverages; extraction and processing of industrial minerals; mechanical engineering and metal processing, including manufacturing parts and accessories for the automotive industry; manufacturing sanitary ceramics and fittings, flexible connections, packaging; chemical, pharmaceutical, textile and wood processing industries; retail and wholesale, services, construction and repairs and others. Agriculture, winemaking and the processing of farming and livestock products are traditional, well-established sectors of the local economy.
The largest employers in the North Central Region are Alumina Elit 2003 EOOD, Megaport OOD, Extrapack OOD, Prestige 96 AD (Veliko Tarnovo); Apolon AD, Zaharni zavodi AD (Gorna Oryahovitsa); Arcus AD (Lyaskovets); Elit AD, Bon EOOD, Unipack AD (Pavlikeni); Svilocell AD (Svishtov); AMK — Zadvizhvashta i upravlyavashta tehnika EOOD, Gama Engineering AD, Monolit-T OOD (Gabrovo), Hamberger EOOD, Ideal Standard — Vidima AD (Sevlievo); Mesokombinat Lovech AD, Montupet EOOD, Vitte Automotive Bulgaria EOOD, Orgachim AD, Delta Textile Bulgaria EOOD, Keros Bulgaria EAD, Septona Bulgaria AD, Dunarit AD, BTB Bulgaria AD (Ruse), Ekon 91 OOD (Ruse), Astra Bioplant EOOD, Irim EOOD; Kaolin AD (Senovo); Antibiotic — Razgrad AD, Biovet Razgrad AD, ADM AD, Pilko OOD (Razgrad), Han Asparuh AD, Agrotaim EOOD (Isperih); ZMM Stomana AD, Fazarles AD, Elica-elevator OOD, Tucai Bulgaria EOOD (Silistra); Traktsiya (Samuil village), and others.
In 2020, demand among employers in the region was the highest for the following professionals: operators of stationary machines and equipment; unskilled workers in the mining and processing industries, construction and transport; workers for the metallurgical and machine building industry, skilled workers for the food, clothing and wood processing industries, drivers of motor vehicles; personnel for the sector of personal services (chefs, waiting and bar staff, room cleaning staff, etc.); waste collection workers; carers, sales assistants; tutors, etc.
A total of 21 139 vacancies were advertised by employers with the job centres of the Employment Agency in the North Central Region, which constitutes a 5.9 % year-on-year increase. According to Employment Agency data in 2020 the largest number of jobs in the North Central Region were available in the processing industry (clothing, textiles and footwear, machine building, metal processing, manufacturing parts for the automotive industry, electronics, furniture making, chemical and food and beverage industries) with 9 096 jobs, followed by retail and wholesale — 2 088 jobs; public administration — 1 825; agriculture — 1 519 jobs; education — 1 446 jobs; hotel and restaurant management — 1 230 jobs; administrative and support activities — 881 jobs; construction — 693 jobs, etc.
In most cases, the vacancies that employers sought to fill through job centres in the region required low-skilled labour (54.8 %), which largely corresponds to the educational and skill profile of the unemployed persons registered in the region. A large share of employers did not require previous experience and employment history in the relevant sector but instead expected prospective employees to be willing to work hard, and have self-control and discipline.
In 2020, the greatest demand for specialists via job centres was in the sectors of education; services, transport and security; socio-economic and legal affairs; healthcare, technical and technological services, etc.
The economic sectors affected by the economic crisis are expected to gradually recover in the coming months. A positive dynamic in the labour market in the region is likewise expected.
As regards the post-redundancy distribution of the registered unemployed across economic sectors in 2020 (according to Employment Agency statistical data), the largest share of job losses continued to be generated by the services sector (21 840), particularly by wholesale and retail and motor vehicle and motorcycle repairs (6 153), followed by public administration (4 192), healthcare and social work (3 348), hotel and restaurant management (2 728), transport, warehousing and postal services (1 339), etc.
The sector of industry generated the second largest number of registered unemployed persons with 11 485 redundancies, including 9 552 (83.2 %) redundancies from processing enterprises, with 1 578 from the construction industry and the rest from the mining industry, electricity and heat generation and distribution, water supply and sewerage, waste management and reclamation.
11 763 persons did not specify the sector in which they were made redundant. This group comprises those who had either just finished their studies, were inactive or failed to indicate their last place of employment.
Agriculture continued to account for the lowest number of job losses, with 2 967 persons made redundant.
As regards occupational structure, the largest category of persons registered as unemployed in 2020 was the group without any qualifications or special skills (48.7 %), whose share decreased by 1.6 percentage points as compared to 2019.
This was followed by persons registered as unemployed in the categories of blue-collar workers (28.3 %) and specialists (23.0 %). The highest share of specialists seeking jobs were those in the fields of engineering and technology, socioeconomic and legal affairs, services, transport and security, etc. Some of the job seekers had professional skills which were not in demand in the local labour markets.
In terms of education, 47.8 % of the unemployed persons registered with job centres in the North Central Region in 2020 had secondary education, including 78.1 % who had secondary specialist or vocational education, followed by persons with a low level of education (39.4 %). University graduates had the lowest share (12.8 %) of registered unemployment, marking an year-on-year increase of 1.1 percentage points.
The age structure of registered unemployment is characterised by a high share of unemployed persons above the age of 50 years. In 2020, this share stood at 43.1 %, which represents an annual increase of 1.6 percentage points. The share of young unemployed persons, i.e. those up to the age of 29 years, stood at 11.7 % (a decrease of 0.1 percentage points). The share relevant to the subgroup of young people aged 24 years or younger stood at 4.9 % against 4.7 % in 2019.
Information sources: National Statistical Institute and administrative statistical data of the Employment Agency.
Between January and December 2020, the economic situation in the North East planning region was dominated by the seasonal nature of labour supply and demand, which is in line with the underlying structure of the local economy. The highest seasonal demand for labour was registered in seasonal industries, such as agriculture, tourism, trade and the processing industry (food and beverages, clothing and the porcelain-faience industry). Summer is generally the busiest period for these sectors and this is also when a peak in employment is typically registered. In the autumn and winter, business activity drops, leading to a decline in the demand for labour.
Territory: the North East Region comprises the provinces Varna, Dobrich, Targovishte and Shumen. The region borders on Romania. Its total area is 14 487 square kilometres, accounting for 13 % of Bulgaria’s territory.
According to data of the National Statistical Institute as at 31 December 2019 the population of the North East Region is 924 870 people, living in 35 municipalities, which comprise 721 agglomerations (30 towns and cities and 691 villages). Women account for 48.7 % of the population and men for 51.3 %.
The more robust economic activity and GDP growth observed in recent years in the four constituent provinces of the North East Region have led to a rise in employment and a significant decline in unemployment. According to NSI data for Q4 2020 the employment rate of the age group 15 to 64 years in the North East region stood at 67.7% compared to the national rate of 68.8 %. Compared to the same quarter of the previous year, this marked a decrease of 1.6 percentage points in the employment rate of the population in the North East Region. This should be considered in the context of the national average, which also decreased by 1.2 percentage points.
As at 31 December 2020, the number of unemployed persons registered with job centres in the North East Region was 30 745, marking a year-on-year increase.
The average monthly number of unemployed persons registered with job centres in the North East region in the period January-December 2020 stood at 31 964 persons. The number of unemployed persons was largest in the provinces of Varna (12 496) and Shumen (8 356), followed by the provinces of Dobrich and Targovishte with 5 583 and 5 530 unemployed persons, respectively. The average registered unemployment rate in the North East Region in 2020, calculated as the share of persons registered with job centres in the economically active population (in the age group 15 to 64 years) based on 2011 census data, was 7.5 %. The lowest unemployment rate was registered in Varna Province (5.6 %), followed by Dobrich Province (estimated at 7.0%). The unemployment rate in the remaining provinces stood at 11.0 % in Shumen and 11.2 % (the highest rate) in Targovishte.
In 2020, employers in the region mostly sought personnel employed in the field of personal services: chefs, bar and waiting staff, kitchen staff, chambermaids, valets. Many employers sought sales consultants, cashiers and teaching professionals. The greatest demand for skilled workers was primarily in the food and clothing industries (tailors, upholsters, cutters, bakers, meat cutters) and in metallurgy and machine building (welders, fitters, mechanics, turners, car mechanics). There was a strong demand for machine operators, assembly workers, drivers, operators of specialist agricultural equipment. The vacancies for unskilled workers were generally for washing and cleaning staff, security guards, janitors, seasonal workers in forestry and agriculture, general workers, etc.
According to Employment Agency data, the largest number of vacancies in the North East region from January to December 2020 was available in the hotel and restaurant management industry (7 342) and in the processing industry (5 122). There were a total of 2 649 vacancies in the retail, wholesale and repair of cars and motorcycles industries (mainly for sales assistants, cashiers, promoters, warehouse workers, commercial representatives, electrical mechanics, technicians and workers in car repair workshops, etc.). In the field of education (teachers, educators, education experts), a total of 1 763 vacancies were advertised. A total of 1 574 vacancies were advertised in the sector of administrative and support services (office managers, technical secretaries, assistants, accountants) and an additional 1 480 vacancies were advertised in the sector of public administration. A total of 1 089 vacancies were advertised in the construction sector for concrete workers, decorators, bricklayers, plumbers, carpenters, steel construction workers, tilers and flooring specialists. A further 1 078 vacancies were advertised in the agriculture sector, most of them were for farmhands, tractor drivers, field workers, animal breeders, landscape gardeners, forestry and agriculture workers, etc.
The majority of vacancies which employers sought to fill through job centres in the region were for low-skilled labour (67.2 % or 16 684 vacancies). This group mostly includes handymen, cleaning staff, janitors, security guards, kitchen staff, etc.
There were 2 421 vacancies for specialists, with the highest demand for highly-skilled professionals (economists, physicians, construction and machine engineers, teaching staff and IT experts). A total of 5 730 vacancies for blue-collar workers were advertised. There was a strong demand for qualified cooks, waiting and bar staff, administrators, lifeguards and entertainers.
The North East Region continued to experience a shortage of highly skilled workers, particularly ICT specialists, machine engineers, civil engineers and technicians, teaching professionals (foreign language graduates), medical professionals (physicians, nurses, speech therapists). The shortage of skilled workers in tourism, hotel and restaurant management, which are essential for many local labour markets in the North East Region, continues to increase.
The post-redundancy distribution of registered unemployed persons across economic sectors (according to Employment Agency statistical data) was as follows: the largest share of job losses was in the services sector (30 568), of which 7 238 were in hotel and restaurant management; 7 179 were in wholesale and retail trade; 4 392 were in public administration; 3 487 in healthcare and social work; 1 620 were in transport, warehousing and postal services; 1 539 were in administrative and support services; 1 043 were in professional services and research and 1 020 were in real estate.
The second highest number of job losses was registered in the industry sector, with 10 595 redundancies, including 7551 in the processing industry and 2551 in construction.
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries continued to account for the lowest number of job losses, which stood at 2 696 redundancies.
In 2020, the number of newly registered unemployed persons in the North East region for whom no information about a previous employer was provided upon registration with job centres stood at 13 423.
In terms of occupational structure, during the period January — December the largest group of registered unemployed persons remained those without any qualifications or specialisation (17 158), followed by blue-collar workers (8 176) and specialists (6 629). Among specialists, the largest number of unemployed persons were those with degrees in the socio-economic sciences and law (2 199) and engineering and technical sciences (1 602).
In terms of education, 43.1 % of the unemployed persons registered in the North East region in 2020 had a primary or lower education. Those with higher education had a share of 13.5 % of the registered unemployed. Those with secondary education had a share of 43.3 %, of whom 73.2 % had completed secondary vocational education. This unfavourable trend is a consequence of the deepening imbalance between labour demand and supply and the deficit of qualified personnel in key sectors.
Information sources: Administrative statistics of the Employment Agency, Profiles of the Planning Regions (available on the website of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works); National Statistical Institute (NSI).
In 2020, economic activity and employment were the lowest in the North West planning region, which consequently had the highest unemployment rate in Bulgaria. According to preliminary NSI data, following the declaration of an emergency situation and the subsequent introduction of a lockdown in connection with the epidemiological situation, the total number of persons working under employment contracts and civil servants in the constituent provinces of the region (Vidin, Montana, Vratsa, Lovech and Pleven) decreased in 2020, with a reversal of the trend toward a slight increase in the period between June and October, largely owing to seasonal employment and the more liberal anti-epidemiological measures in place in Bulgaria. At the same time, in 2020 the average monthly unemployment rate in the North West Region registered an increase of 1.4 percentage points, reaching 11.9 % compared to 10.5 % in 2019 and remained the highest in Bulgaria at 4.5 percentage points above the national average (7.4 %) (according to the administrative statistics of the Employment Agency).
This region is the least attractive to foreign investors, and municipalities, especially those in the provinces of Vidin, Montana and Vratsa, fail to compensate for the lack of private investment with the high uptake of EU funds. Low tax rates and charges and relatively good administrative service delivery also fail to offset negative factors, such as poor infrastructure development and the deteriorated demographic and educational characteristics of the local workforce.
The unfavourable labour force profile in the North West region affects most strongly the sectors of structural importance for the region's economy: mechanical engineering and metal processing, construction, transport, ceramics, timber production and wood processing industries, clothing industry, textile industry, wholesale and retail trade, services, healthcare, etc.
Territory: the North West region comprises the provinces of Vidin, Vratsa, Montana, Pleven and Lovech. It has an area of 19 070 km2 or 17.0 % of Bulgaria’s territory.
The North West region (according to National Statistical Institute data as at 1 February 2011) had a population of 847 138 spread across 51 municipalities comprising 45 towns and cities and 623 villages. In 2020, the average annual number of unemployed persons registered with job centres increased by 4 647 or 13.2 % compared to 2019.
In 2020, the monthly average of unemployed persons registered with job centres in the North West Region stood at 39 903. The highest number of unemployed persons was registered in the province of Pleven (10 858), followed by Vratsa (9 368), Montana (7 805), Lovech (6 284) and Vidin (5 588). The average monthly registered unemployment level in the North West region in the period under consideration, according to data of the Employment Agency, was 11.9 % as compared to the national average of 7.4 %. Unemployment rates in the individual provinces stood at: 10.1 % in Pleven, 11.2 % in Lovech, 12.5 % in Vratsa and 13.0 % in Montana. The highest unemployment rate of 14.8 % was registered in the province of Vidin.
Since the introduction of the emergency situation until the end of 2020, a total of 13 651 persons registered as unemployed after being made redundant as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of the more important and developing economic sectors in the region are the food industry, the manufacturing of car batteries, mechanical engineering, the timber production and wood processing industries, the clothing industry, the pharmaceutical and chemical industries and the services sector.
Agriculture and processing of agricultural products are traditional sectors of the regional economy.
In the period under consideration employers in the region mostly sought: physicians, nurses, engineers, tailors, sales assistants, waiting and bar staff, accountants, hospital attendants, bakers, cooks, confectioners, timber production workers, agricultural workers, electrical mechanics, welders, handymen, etc.
According to Employment Agency data, the largest number of vacancies (6 094 or 32.6 %) available in the North West region during the year was in the processing industry (clothing, textiles, food and beverages, etc.), followed by public administration (4 085 vacancies or 21.8 %), the sector of education (1 656 vacancies or 8.8 %), retail and wholesale and repairs of motor vehicles and household (1 447 or 7.7 %) (mostly shop assistants, warehouse workers, advertising agents, sales representatives, electrical mechanics, technicians, workers in car repair shops and others); hotel and restaurant management (1 221 vacancies or 6.5 %), the sectors of agriculture, forestry and fisheries (1 094, or 5.8 %); construction (909 or 4.9 %), administrative and support services (757 or 4.0 %), healthcare (374 or 2.0 %), transport and communications (230 or 1.2 %), etc.
There were 1 094 vacancies (5.8 %) in the agricultural sector, with the highest demand for farmhands, tractor drivers, combine harvester drivers, field workers, landscape gardeners, etc.
In the construction industry, the vacancies advertised decreased by 44.5 % compared to 2019. During the period under consideration, the total number of vacancies advertised in the sector stood at 909, which represents 4.9 % of all available vacancies, with the highest demand for concrete workers, welders, decorators, steel construction workers, bricklayers, carpenters, tilers, plumbers, etc. In 2020, their share decreased by 3.4 percentage points as compared to 2019 to 4.9 % of all vacancies advertised in the primary labour market.
Most vacancies which employers sought to fill through job centres in the region were for low-skilled labour, with 12 154 job postings of this nature, accounting for 64.9 % of all available vacancies. This trend is consistent with the profile of most registered unemployed persons in the region. Compared to 2019, their number fell by 2 148 vacancies and their relative share also decreased by 7.6 percentage points.
As regards specialist jobs, engineering and technical specialists were in high demand, particularly professionals in the transport and services sectors, economists, doctors and educators.
Along with the increase in the registered unemployment rate in the labour market, the North West Region continued to experience a shortage of highly skilled personnel: ICT engineers and specialists, managers fluent in foreign languages, education professionals, computer science and information technology teachers, physicians and nurses, as well as specialists and workers in some of the leading sectors of the regional economy.
The post-redundancy distribution of registered unemployed persons across economic sectors (according to Employment Agency data) was as follows: the service sector accounted for the largest share of job losses, with 24 490 people made redundant (47.6 %), including 7 338 (30.0 %) in public administration and defence; 6 477 (26.4 %) in retail and wholesale and repairs of motor vehicles and household appliances, and 2 792 (11.4 %) in hotel and restaurant management.
The second biggest generator of job losses was the industry sector, with 11 319 redundancies (22.0 %), including 9 014 (79.6 %) in the processing industry and 1 884 (16.6%) in the construction industry.
Agriculture generated the lowest share of registered unemployed persons (2 135 or 4.2 %), with all of the workers made redundant in the farming sector. The share decreased by 0.8 percentage point compared to 2019 but the actual number of registered unemployed persons increased by 7 persons.
As regards the occupational structure of registered unemployment, in 2020 the category with the most unemployed persons registered with job centres in the North West Region remained the group of those without any qualifications or specialisation — 20 893 persons or 52.4 % of the total, followed by blue-collar workers (11 285 persons or 28.3 %) and specialists (6 888 persons or 17.3 %). Within the largest group of specialists (36.9 %), engineers and other technical experts had the highest share of those unemployed (28.0 %), followed by economists (28.0 %), specialists in the services, transport and security sectors (14.4 %) and specialists in the agricultural sector (7.5 %).
In terms of education, 18 858 persons (47.3 %) registered as unemployed with job centres in the North East Region during the period under consideration had secondary education, with this group registering an increase of 1.0 percentage point. The number of university graduates registered as unemployed numbered 3 053 (7.7 %), which constitutes an increase of 0.8 percentage point. There was a decrease (of 1.7 percentage points) in the share of registered unemployed persons with primary or lower education. This group accounts for 45.1 % of the total number of registered unemployed persons (17 991).
Information sources: Administrative statistics of the Employment Agency (national database), profiles of the planning regions (available on the website of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works); National Statistical Institute (NSI).
In Q4 2020, the South East Region ranked third in Bulgaria in terms of the employment rate of persons aged 15 years and more. As compared to the same period in 2019, a decrease in the number of employed persons was registered in all constituent provinces (Yambol, Burgas, Sliven and Stara Zagora).
In Q4 2020, the employment rate dropped by 1.5 percentage points compared to the same period of 2019, reaching 50.6 % against the national rate of 52.9 %. In keeping with the trend from previous periods, the employment rate was higher for men (59.0 %) than for women (42.9 %). Compared to the same quarter in 2019, the employment rate decreased by 0.1 and 2.8 percentage points for men and women, respectively.
Data on labour market developments in the constituent provinces (Burgas, Sliven, Stara Zagora and Yambol) shows a flat trend in Sliven Province while in Burgas, Yambol and Stara Zagora the employment rate decreased by 1.9, 1.5 and 1.8 percentage points, respectively.
Territory: the South East region comprises the provinces of Burgas, Sliven, Stara Zagora and Yambol. It has an area of 19 794 square kilometres or 17.8 % of Bulgaria’s territory.
According to NSI data, as at 31 December 2019 the population of the South East Region stood at 1 024 115 (14.7 % of Bulgaria’s total population) and was spread across 33 municipalities. Women accounted for 51.5 % of the population and men for 48.5 %. In terms of population size, Burgas is the most prominent of the four provinces in the region, with 409 265 residents (40.0 %), followed by the provinces of Stara Zagora (30.6%, or 313 396 residents), Sliven (18.0 %, or 184 119 residents) and Yambol (11.5 %, or 117 335 residents). In all four provinces, women outnumber men, with a share of 51.7 % in Burgas Province, 51.6 % in Stara Zagora Province, 51.4 % in Sliven Province and 51.1 % in Yambol Province. The urban population has the largest share: 72.7 % of the region’s total population. The share of the urban population by province was as follows: 76.5 % (Burgas), 72.4 % (Stara Zagora), 70.8 % (Yambol) and 65.7 % (Sliven). Compared to the end of 2018, the population of the South East Region decreased by 7 964 persons, more specifically by 1 066 in Burgas Province, 2 960 in Stara Zagora Province, 2 376 in Sliven Province and 1 562 in Yambol Province.
In 2020, the average number of unemployed persons registered with job centres in the South East region was 34 037. The largest number was in the province of Burgas (12 449 unemployed), followed by Sliven, Stara Zagora, and Yambol, with 8 601, 9 093 and 3 894 unemployed persons, respectively. The average registered unemployment rate for 2020 in the South East Region stood at 7.2 % compared to the national average of 7.4 %. This indicator remained lower than the national (and regional) average in the provinces of Burgas (6.6 %), Stara Zagora (6.2 %) and Yambol (7.0 %) while it was higher in Sliven (11.0 %).
In 2020, employers in the region mostly sought professionals in the sector of tourism, including: chambermaids, waiting and bar staff, chefs, hotel administrators, sales consultants, as well as workers in various industrial and service sectors, odd-job workers, machine operators, teachers, seasonal workers in the agricultural sector and the canning industry, drivers of various vehicles, security guards, personal assistants.
According to Employment Agency data on the South East region, in 2020 a total of 28 176 vacancies were advertised in the real economy. The greatest number of vacancies opened in the processing industries (the canning industry, food, tobacco product and beverage production, the textile and clothing industries, etc.) — 6 201, hotel and restaurant management (mainly for room cleaning staff, chefs, waiting and bar staff, hotel administrators, cleaning staff) — 6 671, retail and wholesale trade (shop assistants, sales representatives, general workers, etc.) — 2 824, administrative and support services — 1 136, transport, warehousing and postal services — 1 102, education — 2 277, construction — 831, public administration — 2 954 and real estate operations — 540 vacancies.
There were 1 290 vacancies in the agricultural sector, the highest demand being for seasonal forestry workers, operators of specialist agricultural equipment, farm workers, etc.
The majority of vacancies in the real economy that employers sought to fill through job centres in the region were for low-skilled or unskilled labour (64.2 %). Out of these, in 53.4 % of the cases secondary education was required and in 46.6 % of the cases primary or lower education was required.
As regards vacancies for specialists, most were in the fields of education, the services, transport and security sectors, demand being the lowest in the sector of agriculture.
The labour market in the South East Region continued to experience a shortage of skilled personnel, including ICT engineers, construction professionals, managers fluent in foreign languages, education and healthcare professionals, drivers, crane operators, excavator operators, welders, tailors, as well as specialists and workers in some of the leading sectors of the regional economy, particularly hotel and restaurant management and their support operations.
The post-redundancy distribution of the 64 983 persons newly registered as unemployed in 2020 across economic sectors (according to Employment Agency statistical data) was as follows: the largest share of unemployed persons used to work in the services sector (30 239 people or 46.5 %). The largest groups based on their last place of employment were engaged in retail and wholesale (8 843), hotel and restaurant management (6 564), public administration (4 159), transport, warehousing and postal services (2 163), healthcare and social work (2 093) and administrative and support services (1 630). The smallest number of redundancies (292) was registered in the sector of information and creative content production and distribution and telecommunications.
The sector of industry generated the second highest number of redundancies (14 113 or 21.7 %), with most redundancies being in the processing industry (10 616) and construction (2 849), and the fewest number of redundancies were registered in the mining industry (66).
Another large group of newly registered unemployed were those from an unspecified sector, totalling 18 620 people (28.7 %). This group comprises persons who either did not work before registering with a job centre or did not indicate their previous place of employment. It also includes workers previously employed abroad and a large number of inactive persons.
The agricultural sector continued to account for the lowest number and share of job losses (2 011 registered unemployed, or 3.1 %).
In terms of the occupational structure of registered unemployed persons, the largest category in 2020 remained those without any qualifications or specialisation (19 623 persons or 57.7 %) as a monthly average, followed by blue-collar workers (7 154 or 21.0 %) and specialists (7 276 or 21.4 %). Among the latter, engineers and other technical experts had the highest share of those unemployed, followed by economists and lawyers.
As regards education, the majority of the unemployed persons registered with job centres in the South East Region during the first half of 2020 had secondary education (41.2 %). These were followed by persons with elementary or lower education (34.1 %) and primary education (12.9 %), the share of unemployed persons with higher education being the lowest (12.3 %). The aggregate group of persons with a low level of education (primary, elementary and lower) accounts for 47.0 % of all unemployed. This is a group experiencing serious difficulties in finding employment. As compared to the average figure for 2019, the share of registered unemployed persons with higher education increased by 1.1 percentage points and that of persons with secondary education increased by 4.2 percentage points. The shares of persons with elementary education or lower and primary education decreased by 3.6 and 1.2 percentage points, respectively.
Information sources:Administrative statistics of the Employment Agency, profiles of planning regions (available on the website of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works); National Statistical Institute (NSI), Institute for Market Economics
Territory: the South West Region comprises the administrative provinces of Sofia, Greater Sofia, Pernik, Blagoevgrad and Kyustendil. It has an area of 20 306.4 square kilometers or 18.3% of Bulgaria’s territory. A special feature of this region is that it includes Bulgaria’s capital Sofia, as a separate province, and the only Bulgarian province without an independent administrative centre (Greater Sofia).
According to official NSI data based on the 2011 census as at 1 February 2011 the population of the South West Region was 2 132 848 people (28.96 % of Bulgaria’s total population) spread across 52 municipalities, which comprise 953 agglomerations (47 towns and cities and 905 villages). Women accounted for 51.8 % of the population and men for 48.2 %. More than half of the region’s population (60.5 %) lived in Sofia (1 291 591 people or 17.5 % of Bulgaria's population).
At the end of 2020, the number of employed persons in the South West Planning Region stood at 952 800. This represents a decrease of 112 600 people compared to the end of 2019.
In contrast to the trend observed over the past few years, in 2020 there was a significant decrease in employment in the region. Undoubtedly, the main reason was the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of many businesses in various sectors of the economy. Efforts are currently focused on maintaining a stable employment rate using a number of instruments.
The average monthly number of unemployed persons registered with job centres in the South West Region stood at 55 899, 56.8 % of whom were women and 43.2 % were men. The highest average monthly number of unemployed persons, expressed as an absolute figure, was registered in Sofia Province (21 681), followed by Blagoevgrad (17 206), Greater Sofia (8 237), Kyustendil Province (5 259) and Pernik Province (3 516). In 2020, the average monthly unemployment rate in the South West Region stood at 7.4 % compared to the national average of 7.35 %. The unemployment rate was lowest in Sofia Province (3.26 %) and Pernik Province (5.78 %) while exceeding the national average in the remaining three provinces: 7.54 % in Greater Sofia, 9.2 % in Kyustendil and the highest — 11.4% in Blagoevgrad.
The South West region holds a leading position in terms of its share in the country's gross domestic product (GDP). As at 31 December 2020, the rate of economic activity in the age group 15 to 64 years group stood at 77.5 % (the highest in the country). The region is also the leader in terms of year-over-year investment growth and of newly created jobs. Sofia continued to be among the top industrial locations in Bulgaria, taking a leading position in the processing industry. Some of the companies based in the capital are among the largest manufacturers of pharmaceuticals (Sopharma AD) and electrical equipment (Hyundai Heavy Industries AD) and providers of machinery repair and installation services (Terem EAD Sofia). The headquarters of all major retail chains in the country, such as Lidl, Billa, Kaufland, Technopolis and Praktiker, are situated in Sofia. Micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises account for 70 % of Sofia’s industrial output and trends in the last few years indicate that this share is likely to increase in the near future. Nearly two-thirds of jobs in the capital city are created by small and medium-sized enterprises. However, large companies are gradually increasing their share in job creation.
Greater Sofia and the province of Blagoevgrad also have rapidly developing industrial sectors. Information and communication technology remains one of the most dynamic sectors in the services industry. An increase in employment was also observed in the financial sector, in intermediary services and in business process outsourcing, with Sofia continuing to be the location with the highest concentration of successful service sector companies.
In 2020, demand for labour in the region was the highest for the following economic activities: the processing industry, retail and repair of cars and motorcycles, and administrative and support services. Demand for labour decreased in all areas of economic activity. As regards job types, specialist jobs were the only ones to experience an increase in demand, while jobs requiring vocational training and unskilled jobs marked a decrease.
In 2020, the jobs most in demand by employers included engineers, software programmers, public administration specialists and experts, insurance agents, medical doctors, nurses, teachers, tailors, shoemakers, machine operators, chefs, bar and waiting staff, shop assistants, HGV drivers and care workers.
According to Employment Agency data, in 2020 a total of 56 752 vacancies were advertised in the South West Region, most of which (40 277) were in the service sector, as follows: 7 183 in retail and repair of cars and motorcycles (mostly for sales assistants, warehouse workers, advertising agents, commercial representatives, electrical mechanics, technicians, workers in car repair shops, etc.); 2 158 in transport, warehousing and postal services; 1 110 in information and creative work production and distribution and telecommunications; 1 529 in professional services and research; 2 697 in finance and insurance; 952 in real estate operations; 7 747 in administrative and support services; 6 618 in public administration; 6 029 in hotel and restaurant management (bar and waiting staff, chambermaids); 2 381 in education (for teachers, educators, assistant teachers, kindergarten teachers); 965 in human healthcare and social work, 358 in culture, sports and entertainment, etc. The industry sector advertised a total of 15 750 vacancies, of which 11 362 in the processing industry (food and beverages, tobacco, textiles and clothing, etc.). Workforce demand in the construction sector remained low in the region, with 3 737 vacancies in 2020, mainly for blue-collar workers engaged in carrying out repairs. (Decorators, carpenters, tile setters, plumbers, and other similar professionals were in demand.)
Compared to other sectors, the lowest demand for labour in 2020 was registered in agriculture, with only 766 advertised vacancies, mostly for farmhands and forestry workers, machine operators, etc.
In most cases, the vacancies that employers sought to fill through employment offices in the region were for low-skilled labour, which matches the profile of the majority of unemployed persons registered with employment offices outside the capital city. During 2020, there were 45 896 vacancies (80.9 % of all new jobs) suitable for workers with no specialist skills or qualifications.
Despite the high number of registered unemployed on the labour market, the South West region continues to experience a shortage of skilled personnel, particularly engineers and technical experts in the field of information technology and communications, mechanical engineering and logistics, etc.; managers fluent in foreign languages; specialists and workers for the hospitality and catering industry (including those proficient in two foreign languages, SPA therapists, chefs specialising in international cuisine, etc.); teachers in the field of education; blue-collar workers with professions such as turners, operators of milling machines, operators of grinding machines, workers in the clothing, footwear and carpentry industry, and workers for other leading sectors of the local economy. Since the beginning of 2020, 5 982 vacancies for specialists and 4 874 vacancies for blue-collar workers have been advertised.
According to Employment Agency data, the post-redundancy distribution of newly registered unemployed persons across economic sectors in the first half of 2020 was as follows: the service sector accounted for the largest share of job losses totalling 48 279 of which 13 572 (28.1 %) in retail and repair of cars and motorcycles; 4 322 in public administration; 10 794 in human healthcare and social work; 1 961 in real estate operations; 6 080 in the hospitality and catering industry, etc. The second largest share of job losses was generated by industry, with 18 137 redundancies, including 14 351 in the processing industry and 2 807 in construction. The lowest number of redundancies (1 847 persons) was registered in the agriculture, primarily farming.
As regards the occupational structure, in 2020 the largest category of persons registered as unemployed with job centres in the South West region remained the group without any qualifications or special skills (48 261), followed by specialists (37 203) and blue-collar workers (22 102). The group of unemployed specialists was dominated by economists and engineers and other technical specialists, followed by persons with professional experience in the services sector, transport and security and specialists in the area of machines and technology.
As regards educational structure, in 2020 the majority of unemployed persons registered with job centres in the South West region had secondary education (54 853), including 35 126 (64.0 %) persons with secondary vocational education, followed by university graduates (23 398). The number of persons with an elementary or lower level of education was 18 131, and of those with primary education — 11 185.
An upward trend was registered in the number of skilled professionals, staff with technical qualifications and economists employed. At the same time, there was a drop in the employment rate of persons with a lower level of education in industry and in public administration and administrative services. A significant drop was registered in the number of persons employed in the services and transport sectors.
Education and qualification remain the major drivers in the ability of workers to find jobs.
Information sources: Administrative statistics of the Employment Agency, profiles of the planning regions (available on the website of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works); National Statistical Institute (NSI).
The positive trends in the development of the economy of the South Central planning region in 2019 and the first two months of 2020, which ultimately led to stability in the labour market, an increase in employment, respectively decrease in unemployment, were reversed at the end of March and persisted until the end of 2020 on account of the emergency epidemiological situation in the second and fourth quarter of the year resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the health and economic crisis it triggered in a number of sectors of the economy, which inevitably affected consumption and the characteristics of other sectors of the economy.
However, the economic development and labour-market differences between provinces and municipalities in the region persisted.
Territory: the South Central region comprises the provinces of Plovdiv, Pazardzhik, Smolyan, Haskovo and Kardzhali. Its total area is 22 365 square kilometres, which equates to 20.1 % of Bulgaria’s territory.
The population of the South Central region (according to National Statistical Institute data as at 1 February 2011) is 1 203 825 people spread across 58 municipalities, comprising 54 towns and cities and 1 251 villages. Women had a share of 51.4 % of the population and men had a share of 48.6 %.
The average monthly number of unemployed persons registered with job centres in the South Central region in 2020 was 48 957. The highest number was in the province of Plovdiv (17 693), followed by the provinces of Pazardzhik (11 128), Haskovo (8 054), Smolyan (6 194) and Kardzhali (5 888). The average unemployment rate in the South Central region in 2020 stood at 7.63 % compared to the national average of 7.4 %. The unemployment rate was lower than the national average (5.85 %) only in Plovdiv Province. In the remaining provinces, the unemployment rate was as follows: 10.6 % in Smolyan Province; 9.8 % in Kardzhali Province, 9.65 % in Pazardzhik Province and 7.7% in Haskovo Province.
In 2020, the jobs most in demand by employers included: seamstresses, shopping assistants, machine operators, vegetable growers, field workers, fitters, welders, assembly workers, turners, furniture makers, welders, drivers, security personnel, workers in agriculture, forestry and construction, handymen, etc. In terms of specialists, there was a high demand for engineers and professionals in various technical areas, economic and administrative specialists in the sector of transport and services, economists and educators.
In parallel with the increase in registered unemployment, the South Central region continued to experience a shortage of skilled talent, particularly teaching staff and specialists and workers in the services and technology sectors.
According to Employment Agency data, in 2020 the largest number of vacancies opened in the South Central Region were in the processing industry (clothing and textiles, food and beverages, tobacco, etc.) — 13 858; a total of 3 561 jobs were advertised in the field of car, motorcycle and household appliance retail and repairs (mostly for shop assistants, warehouse workers, advertising agents, commercial representatives, electrical mechanics, technicians, workers in car repair shops, etc.). There were 3 638 vacancies in the sector of administrative and support services; 2 177 vacancies in the sector of education (for teachers, educators, assistant teachers, nursery teachers, etc.); and 3 209 vacancies in the hospitality and catering industry (for room cleaning staff, waiting and bar staff).
In the agricultural sector 1 802 vacancies were advertised, mostly for farm workers, market gardeners, forestry workers, etc.
With the decline in the construction sector reversed, the demand for labour increased and 1 634 vacancies were advertised, mostly for concrete workers, welders, decorators, steel fixers, bricklayers, carpenters, tile setters, plumbers, etc.
The vacancies that employers sought to fill through job centres in the region were mostly for low-skilled workers (65.6 %), which matches the profile of most registered unemployed persons in the region.
According to Employment Agency statistical data for 2020 the post-redundancy distribution of the registered unemployed across economic sectors was as follows: most job seekers (38 885) were made redundant in the services sector, including 6 156 in the hospitality and catering industry; and 11 772 persons were made redundant in the sectors of retail and wholesale trade and repairs. These are followed by redundancies in the industry sector (19 809 persons), including 16 027 in the processing industry and 2 901 in construction.
The agricultural sector continued to account for the lowest number of job losses (2 250), almost all of them in the farming sector.
As regards the occupational structure, the largest category of persons registered as unemployed at the end of 2020 remained the group without any qualifications or special skills (52 %), followed by specialists (24.6 %) and blue-collar workers (23.5 %). After the economic crisis which affected the country, some significant changes to the occupational structure of registered unemployment were observed. In the first half of the year, the share of specialists and high-skilled workers increased while the share of unemployed persons without any qualifications decreased. This trend was reversed in the second half of the year, with the share of unemployed persons without any qualification increasing and that of specialists and blue-collar workers decreasing.
In terms of education, at the end of 2020, 40 % of the registered unemployed persons in the South Central Region had primary or lower level of education, 46.8 % had secondary education and 13.2 % had higher education.
Information sources: Administrative statistics of the Employment Agency, Profiles of the Planning Regions (available on the website of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works); National Statistical Institute (NSI).