Live & Work in Bulgaria Live & Work in Bulgaria. Live & Work in Bulgaria Summary Summary Area - 110 994 sq. km Population - 7 974 000 Capital -

Live & Work in BulgariaLive & Work in Bulgaria


Summary Summary Area Area - 110 994 sq. km- 110 994 sq. km PopulationPopulation - 7 974 000 - 7 974 000 CapitalCapital - Sofia - Sofia Government type - Government type - Parliamentary republicParliamentary republic Religion:Religion: Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, Roman Catholic Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, Roman Catholic

1.7%, Jewish 0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 4%1.7%, Jewish 0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 4% National Holiday-National Holiday- 3-rd of March 3-rd of March National currencyNational currency - Bulgarian lev (BGN) - Bulgarian lev (BGN) A rate of exchange BGN / €A rate of exchange BGN / € - 1.95 / 1 - 1.95 / 1 IndustriesIndustries Electricity, gas and water; food, beveragesElectricity, gas and water; food, beverages and tobacco;and tobacco;

machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products,coke, refined machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products,coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuelpetroleum, nuclear fuel

ExportsExports Clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuelsClothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels ImpoImportsrts Fuels, minerals, and raw materials; machineryand equipment; metals Fuels, minerals, and raw materials; machineryand equipment; metals

and ores; chemicals and plastics; food, textilesand ores; chemicals and plastics; food, textiles

Central officeCentral office – – SofiaSofia

9 9 Regional Employment Regional Employment Service DirectoratesService Directorates

109 109 Local Labor OfficesLocal Labor Offices

180 180 BranchesBranches

www.az.government.bgwww.az.government.bg

Structure of the National Structure of the National Employment AgencyEmployment Agency

National Structure of EURES National Structure of EURES BulgariaBulgaria

MANAGER /central office/

3 assistants /central office/

financial expertCommunications expert

IT - expert

EURES Coordinator

5 advisersPlovdiv, Lovech, Burgas,Montana, Veliko Tarnovo

3 EURES advisers to be trained in 2008 28 EURES assistants in the Local Labor Offices

In each of the 28 districts

Our activitiesOur activities

Job offers

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The Bulgarian EURES advisers The Bulgarian EURES advisers have received altogether about 450 have received altogether about 450 job offers in 13 countries more than job offers in 13 countries more than 404000 00 working placesworking places. . Bulgarian-English job fair for the agricultural sector in Razgrad, July 2007 International information job fair in the sphere of tourism in Bansko– September 2007 Bulgarian- German job fair for graduating students engineers in Sofia –November 2007

Special services for the Special services for the employersemployers

- We can organize interviews with the potential employeesWe can organize interviews with the potential employees

- We can organize job fairsWe can organize job fairs

- We can do preliminary selectionWe can do preliminary selection

If you want to employ a Bulgarian citizen, you can sent your job offer If you want to employ a Bulgarian citizen, you can sent your job offer through any of the Latvian EURES advisers to any of the EURES advisers in through any of the Latvian EURES advisers to any of the EURES advisers in Bulgaria (in English). It is translated into Bulgarian and is sent to the Central Bulgaria (in English). It is translated into Bulgarian and is sent to the Central office in Sofia (the EURES coordinator), from where it is sent to all the 109 office in Sofia (the EURES coordinator), from where it is sent to all the 109 Local labor offices and 180 branches, where the offer is put on a special Local labor offices and 180 branches, where the offer is put on a special place outside so everybody can see it. Anyone who is interested in the job place outside so everybody can see it. Anyone who is interested in the job offer can use our services.offer can use our services.

Statistics about theStatistics about the rregistered egistered uunemployed nemployed ppersons inersons in October October 2007 2007

Unemployment level (%)Unemployment level (%) --6.73 6.73 %% Total number of the registered unemployedTotal number of the registered unemployed - - 249249 376 376 :: 1. Women 1. Women --151151 397 397 2. 2. Youths up to 24 Youths up to 24 - - 2424 098098 3. 3. Youths up to 29 Youths up to 29 - - 4848 024024 4. 4. Persons over 50 Persons over 50 – – 9393 909909 5. 5. Long - term unemployed over 1 year Long - term unemployed over 1 year - - 144614 144614 6. 6. Persons with disabilities Persons with disabilities - - 1212 998998

7. University education 7. University education - - 6.4%. 6.4%.

8. Illiterate persons unemployed -8. Illiterate persons unemployed -18718 18718

Employment by Employment by sectorssectors

More than the half of all employed persons work in the most dynamic economic sector “Services” - 57.4% (1785.7 thousand persons), followed by the employed in the sector “Industry” - 34.5% (1072.1 thousand persons) and in the agriculture - 8.1% (252.2 thousand persons). The employed persons in the member-states of the European Union are also most numerous in the sphere of the services, followed by the industry and the agriculture.


Labour market shortagesLabour market shortages DuringDuring 200 20077 jobjob vacanciesvacancies inin thethe manufacturemanufacture industryindustry werewere thethe mostlymostly openedopened, , followedfollowed by by tradetrade andand repairsrepairs ofof automobileautomobile andand householdhousehold appliancesappliances, , educationeducation, , agricultureagriculture branchbranch, , constructionconstruction – – househouse buildersbuilders, , casingcasing workersworkers, , househouse--painterspainters, , carpenterscarpenters, , roadroad constructors etc. constructors etc. In Bulgaria tourism is one of the In Bulgaria tourism is one of the most rapidly developing sectors. Yet we need workers in most rapidly developing sectors. Yet we need workers in hotel and hotel and restaurant servicesrestaurant services - - waiterswaiters, , chefs and cookschefs and cooks, , chambermaidschambermaids..

Recently the Recently the Bulgarian labor market suffers from aBulgarian labor market suffers from a significantsignificant lacklack ofof highly-skilled professionals in the engineering and highly-skilled professionals in the engineering and technical field - engineerstechnical field - engineers, , IT specialistsIT specialists, , informationinformation and and communicationcommunication technology specialists, technology specialists, technicianstechnicians. We also . We also suffer shortage of suffer shortage of welderswelders, , electricians, expertselectricians, experts inin laborlabor safetysafety, , nursesnurses and professionals speaking foreign languages. and professionals speaking foreign languages.


Labour market surplusesLabour market surpluses

InIn 200 20077 thethe biggestbiggest shareshare of of unemployed were people withunemployed were people with qualificationqualification inin thethe fieldfield ofof engineeringengineering andand technology,technology, followedfollowed byby peoplepeople specializedspecialized in field of in field of economicseconomics, , lawlaw, , socialsocial sciencessciences, , agricultureagriculture, , educationeducation andand humanities and arthumanities and art. . AA littlelittle bitbit lessless areare specialistsspecialists inin servicesservices, , transportation, securitytransportation, security and life guardand life guard, , health carehealth care and and exact sciencesexact sciences..


ContractsContracts The oficial minimum age for starting work in Bulgaria is 16 years. As an The oficial minimum age for starting work in Bulgaria is 16 years. As an exception people aged 15 and 16 may be hired with a special permission exception people aged 15 and 16 may be hired with a special permission from The Labour Inspection Office. from The Labour Inspection Office. EmployeesEmployees in Bulgaria can be hired for a limited period of time or for a in Bulgaria can be hired for a limited period of time or for a permanent work , for a full time /in the most cases/ or for a part time work. permanent work , for a full time /in the most cases/ or for a part time work. The full timeThe full time working day is 8 hours per a day. Usually the employers working day is 8 hours per a day. Usually the employers prefer to first hire workers with a contract with a probation period /the prefer to first hire workers with a contract with a probation period /the probation period may not be longer than 6 months/. No matter for what probation period may not be longer than 6 months/. No matter for what period the worker is hired, a period the worker is hired, a labour contract is obligatorylabour contract is obligatory. The contract . The contract should be concluded before the worker starts work. Within a 3-day period should be concluded before the worker starts work. Within a 3-day period the employer is obliged to send a Notification for each contract to the the employer is obliged to send a Notification for each contract to the National Revenue Agency /NRA/. The worker should be provided with National Revenue Agency /NRA/. The worker should be provided with copies of the contract and of the NRA Notification.copies of the contract and of the NRA Notification. The notice period for terminating a contract /either by the employee or The notice period for terminating a contract /either by the employee or the employer/ is 30 days.the employer/ is 30 days. By mutual consent – 7 days. By mutual consent – 7 days.


Minimum and average salaryMinimum and average salary At present the guaranteed minimum salary per month in Bulgaria Is At present the guaranteed minimum salary per month in Bulgaria Is 180 180 lv (about 95 Eurolv (about 95 Euro), for 2008 it will be ), for 2008 it will be 110 EURO110 EURO. The average salary is . The average salary is 460 460 lv per month (about 230 Euro). lv per month (about 230 Euro).

Annual leaveAnnual leaveAny worker has the right for a paid annual leave. The duration of the basic Any worker has the right for a paid annual leave. The duration of the basic paid annual leave is no less than 20 work days /if the worker has paid annual leave is no less than 20 work days /if the worker has completed 6 months length of service/. completed 6 months length of service/. The workers should use their annual leave in the year it belongs. The workers should use their annual leave in the year it belongs. They They may delay it only with amay delay it only with a permission permission byby the employer the employer. .


TTaxationaxation According to the Personal Income Tax ActAccording to the Personal Income Tax Act a subject for taxation a subject for taxation in Bulgaria are :in Bulgaria are :

-domestic individuals /that means persons whose permanent address -domestic individuals /that means persons whose permanent address is in Republic of Bulgaria, or persons who reside in Republic of is in Republic of Bulgaria, or persons who reside in Republic of Bulgaria more than 183 days in each 12 months, or persons Bulgaria more than 183 days in each 12 months, or persons for for whom Bulgaria is whom Bulgaria is centre of centre of their vital interests place/their vital interests place/

- - foreign individuals /all the other persons not included in the list of foreign individuals /all the other persons not included in the list of the domestic individuals/the domestic individuals/. Foreign individuals are taxable on . Foreign individuals are taxable on income earned from sources in Bulgaria.income earned from sources in Bulgaria.

Wages for labour performed on the territory of Bulgaria are Wages for labour performed on the territory of Bulgaria are taxable as a source from Bulgaria.taxable as a source from Bulgaria.

Since 2008 there’s going to be a flat rate -10%.Since 2008 there’s going to be a flat rate -10%.

Live & Work in BulgariaLive & Work in Bulgaria Social insuranceSocial insurance

According to the Bulgarian legislation insurance contributions are allocated in:According to the Bulgarian legislation insurance contributions are allocated in:

the Pensions fund –19%;the Pensions fund –19%;

the General sickness and maternity fund – 3.5%;the General sickness and maternity fund – 3.5%;

the Work injury and occupational sickness fund – between 0.4 – 1.1% /paid the Work injury and occupational sickness fund – between 0.4 – 1.1% /paid only at the expense of the employer/;only at the expense of the employer/;

the Unemployment fund – 3%.the Unemployment fund – 3%.

the Obligatory additional pension insurance /only for persons born after the Obligatory additional pension insurance /only for persons born after 1960/ - 4%;1960/ - 4%;

the Health insurance– 6%.the Health insurance– 6%.


THANK YOU FOR YOUR THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!ATTENTION!

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Live & Work in Bulgaria Live & Work in Bulgaria. Live & Work in Bulgaria Summary Summary Area - 110 994 sq. km Population - 7 974 000 Capital -