Over the past several years, the Bulgarian labour market has been characterised by regional differences in size and composition. Differences can be seen in employment, salaries, productivity, education and demographic structure.
From 2003 to 2006, economic activity and employment have both gone up, while unemployment has gone down significantly.
According to data from the National Statistics Institute (NSI) for 2006, labour activity rates range from 42.2 per cent in the north-west of the country to 56.3 per cent in south-west Bulgaria, with a national average of 51.3 per cent. Employment rates have been lowest in north-west Bulgaria with 37.1 per cent, and highest in the south-west with 52.7 per cent.
Unemployment has been falling in all regions of the country. According to NSI data, unemployment has dropped most significantly in the south-east of the country, by 6.6 per cent over the past three years. The north-west of the country had the highest unemployment rate, at 12.5 per cent it was 3.5 per cent higher than the national average in 2006.
Corporate investment in human resources
Corporate investment in human resources is critical for national economy and society's investment in human capital. In Bulgaria, investment in human resources has not yet become common practise and costs for continuous vocational training (CVT) is only 0.4 per cent of total labour costs. Only 29.2 per cent of companies have identified the need for their staff to learn any new or other skills.
About 11 per cent of unemployed have participated in CVT courses and of those employed in micro enterprises only 1 out of 23 participated. Generally, over two-third of all enterprises have not organised any form of vocational training for their staff.
Bulgarian enterprises rarely invest in management activities or human resources. Over 90 per cent of companies see no need to have training syllabi or curricula available for their staff. In the private sector, 43 per cent of employers consider vocational training the responsibility of the employee. Formal procedures to estimate the effect of training had been implemented by only 38 per cent of companies that have undertaken training activities.
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Tuesday, October 14 2008
Expat of the Week
redryler
Grew up in Ireland. Wnet to college in London. This was an eye-opener to the world. Have worked for ... read more
What`s on in Bulgaria
Theatre
12 Angry Monologues/12 razgneveni monologa What: The play is a compilation of 12 of the best monologues from Bulgarian actor Velko Kunev on the National Theatre stage over the past 30 years. Alone on the stage, Kunev re-experiences the fates, thoughts, worries and fears of his characters - including Ham When: October 7 and 25, 7pm Where: Ivan Vazov National Theatre
Volpone What: This comedy, written by English Renaissance playwright Ben Jonson, tells the story of Venetian nobleman Volpone who pretends he’s at death’s door to lure the numerous aspirants to his large inheritance and thereby expose their greed and foolishness. Starr When: October 10, 22 and 28 at 7pm Where: Ivan Vazov National Theatre
Cultural Institutes
Pavel Besta and his inspirations What: This exhibition by Czech artist Pavel Besta coincides with his 50th birthday. His paintings are in the realm of the grey and sorrowful. Besta discusses universal questions touching on the beating hearts and disillusioned faces who dwell in the country’s o When: Until October 31 Where: the Czech cultural centre, 100 G. S. Rakovski Str, Sofia
Art
Painters from Plovdiv exhibit in Sofia What: Natally gallery is organising a general exhibition featuring artists who have depicted Plovdiv’s gentle pace of life in their works. Visitors can admire the delicately smiling characters looking over from Angel Vassilev’s paintings, or the colourful abstr When: Until October 30 Where: Natally, 38A Gourko Str, Sofia
The return of Dimitar Voinov What: Racoursi gallery presents Bulgarian painter Dimitar Voinov, who has lived and worked in Germany since 1986. Now, 22 years later, he is exhibiting in Bulgaria for the first time. His paintings reveal the use of classic techniques, combined with ambiguous s When: Until October 31 Where: Racoursi, 4A Han Kroum Str, Sofia
Eva Peneva and Yulian Yordanov’s graphics for four hands What: This collaboration between two artists is a long-nurtured idea that finally comes to life. Yordanov presents 13 of his graphics including titles like Leda, Fragrance or Temptation. To find an adequate answer to his challenge, Peneva painted glass using va When: Until October 20 Where: Teo, 34 Macedonia Str, Varna
Soshana: Around the world in 80 years What: Austrian painter Susanne Schuller-Soshana is a true cosmopolitan. As one art critic puts it, she has travelled the world not in 80 days, but in 80 years. During her nomadic life, she has met some of the defining titans of the last century’s art scene – in When: Until October 16 Where: Astri, 34 Tsar Samouil Str, Sofia
The apple in the minds of several artists What: Though it has a small exhibition area, this gallery always offers carefully selected artists the chance to flaunt their talents. In this general exhibition nine artists have come together to explore the ‘apple theme.’ Works by Boiko Kolev, Rossen Rashev, When: Until October 20 Where: Art Gallery Paris, 8 Paris Str, Sofia
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