Bulgarian businesses will need nearly 262,000 workers and specialists in the next 12 months, according to a survey, conducted by the Employment Agency, together with the regional employment commissions of the 28 regional development councils between May and July.
Employers report a need for 261,926 workers and specialists over the next 12 months with skills and knowledge in a variety of occupational fields that will be required for enterprises to operate effectively. This is nearly 9.3% of the currently employed workforce. Compared to the results of the 2023 surveys, there is a slight decrease in the stated workforce needs by 2.6% or about 7,000 fewer workers and specialists. Compared to the 2019 employment record average, demand in 2024 is at 82% of that in 2019.
The survey gathered important information on the attitudes of Bulgarian businesses towards the expected competences and skills of the workforce. One in four employers ranked personal and social competence as the most important factor for business success, followed by language and entrepreneurial competence, with 17% and 12% respectively. For 87% of businesses, self-control and discipline are the most necessary skills for staff to have. Employers (85%) ranked teamwork and communication skills second most important.
The survey results also show that 59,219 firms will hire new staff in the next 12 months. Compared to the 2023 survey, the number has increased by 3,919 or 7.1%.
Over the next 12 months, employers will be looking for nearly 153,000 skilled specialists. Compared to the stated need for secondary educated specialists in 2023, that number has decreased by 5.3%. The most in-demand occupations will be builders, tailors, cooks, operational accountants, construction technicians, and others.
Bulgarian business will need another 59,300 specialists with legal capacity or higher education. Among them the most in-demand will be teachers, nurses, drivers, doctors, mechanical engineers, teachers, pharmacists, etc. Compared to 2023, the number of in-demand specialists with higher education or a degree increased by nearly a thousand or by 1.6%.
The survey shows that 49,764 workers without a specialty will be needed in various sectors of the economy over the next 12 months, also reporting a year-on-year increase in demand of 650 positions or 1.3%.
The share of employers stating that they will face difficulties in finding the specialists and workers they need is slightly increasing - from 63.8% on average in 2023 to 66.7% in 2024. The most frequently voiced reason for problems in securing staff is the lack of sufficient qualifications (education) of candidates - in 43.1% of cases.
The number of businesses that believe they need to make staff redundant is 17,300, up from 12,600 in 2023, an increase of 37.3% of employers forced to downsize in the next 12 months.
According to the survey, in the next 3 to 5 years, 226,864 people will be in demand of specialists with higher education. The three most in-demand professional fields are Pedagogy, Economics and Social Activities. In the next 3 to 5 years Bulgarian business will also need 255,864 specialists with secondary education. The most needed will be specialists in wholesale and retail trade, construction, marketing and advertising, accounting and taxation, etc.
Sofia-city is where most workers and specialists are expected to be hired - 47,229, which is 18.0% of the total needs in the country, followed by Varna - with 28,944 (11.1%) and Plovdiv - with 23,433 (8.9%).
In 17 out of 28 regions, the reported labour needs exceed the number of registered unemployed. Among them are Varna, where the excess is almost five times, Sofia-city and Burgas - with an excess of 4 times. The districts in which the negative consequences of the lack of sufficient labour force will not be felt are Vidin, Razgrad and Targovishte.
Compared to the results of the 2023 survey, an increase in the labour force needs was recorded in 11 of the regions, compared to 2022, while a decrease was reported in 17 regions. The most significant increase in the need for workers and specialists is observed in Sliven region- 2.5 times compared to the stated needs in 2023, followed by the regions of Sofia - with 77% growth, Montana - with 43%, Vidin - with 37%, Pleven - with 36% and others. A decrease of the demand for labour force by over 70% was recorded in the regions of Gabrovo, Targovishte and Razgrad.
The Labour Needs Survey is carried out once a year to collect and analyze up-to-date information on the occupations, competences, knowledge and skills of employers and to plan measures to organize their vocational training.