site.btaMobile Teams to Poll Refugees, Draft Work Profiles

Тhe Employment Agency has developed a portal, through which employers' needs will be examined in connection with the hiring of refugees from Ukraine. Job vacancies can be reported to the Agency's offices in different settlements. Meanwhile, mobile teams from the Agency will visit people who have arrived in Bulgaria and poll them, it transpired after a meeting between Innovation and Growth Minister Daniel Lorer and employers' representatives, representatives of the Labour and Social Policy Ministry and the Employment Agency. 

Employers have reported 150,000 vacant positions in different sectors. The highest demand was reported in the communications and software services sector - some 30,000 job openings, followed by construction - 24,000 openings, transport and tourism - 23,000 openings each, textiles sector - 20,000, electronics - 10,000. Lorer noted that these jobs are open for Bulgarians and other foreigners as well.  He explained that unemployment has reached an absolute minimum at 4.8% and there is a very high demand of skilled workers, who can join the Bulgarian workforce. 

Employers said that Ukrainians, who do not have all their documents with them for obvious reasons, will be able to fill out declarations about their education and vocational skills. If they declare that they meet the requirements, employers will hire them. Such declarations will not be valid only for the regulated professions. 

 Refugees will be able to apply and start work after they are granted temporary protection, which the European Commission provided through a special directive.

Lorer said that according to the latest data, around 80,000 refugees have entered Bulgaria, half of which have chosen to stay. Mobile teams will poll arriving refugees and ask them about their education, work experience, skills, whether they would like to start working. Over 100 teams can be assembled for this purpose, but not every municipality has seen incoming Ukrainian nationals. Information will be provided on a weekly basis about how many people have expressed desire to work, how many are ready to start working or will do so at a later stage of their stay in Bulgaria.