site.btaAugust Unemployment Reaches Month's All-time Low of 4.3%

August unemployment in Bulgaria reached the all-time low of 4.3% for this month, the Employment Agency said on Thursday. The number of registered unemployed was 139,782. The unemployment rate decreased by 0.6% year on year. Compared to July, there was a minimal increase of 0.1%, the agency said.

The most sought-after professions by businesses last month were teachers; workers in the mining and processing industries, construction and transport; salespeople; machine operators of stationary machinery and equipment; personnel employed in personal services; staff caring for people; waste collection and related workers.

In August, 19,030 newly unemployed people were registered in job centres. They were 1,332 fewer than in July. There was a decrease of 492 people year-on-year. Another 940 people from the groups of employed job seekers, students and pensioners also registered with the employment offices during the month.

The unemployed who started work in August were 10,313, including 253 from the groups of pensioners, students and the employed.

The largest share of people who started working included those in manufacturing (20.6%), trade (13.7%), the hotel and restaurant industry (12.1%) and state administration (7.6%).

Some 1,797 unemployed people from at-risk groups were appointed to subsidized jobs during the month.

At the end of the summer season, there were 12,808 registered jobs in the primary labour market. The largest number of vacancies were registered in manufacturing (25.0%) and education (24.4%), followed by trade, car repair and motorcycles (11.3%), administrative and support activities (8.9%), hospitality and catering (6.3%), and state administration (6.1%).