Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Bulgaria (Ratification: 2008)

The Committee notes the observations of the Industrial Capital Association in Bulgaria (ICAB), transmitted by the Government with its report.

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Implementation of an active employment policy. The Committee notes the detailed information provided by the Government in response to its previous comments. The Government indicates an increase in the employment rate of the population between 20 and 64 years of age from 71.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2021 to 75.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2024, remaining slightly above the average employment rate for countries in the European Union (75.3 per cent). The unemployment rate of the population aged 15 and older has declined from 6.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2021 to 5.0 per cent in the first quarter of 2024. In the distribution by vulnerable groups, the Committee observes a significant decrease in long-term unemployment, whose number reaches 35,873 persons on average per month for the first five months of 2024, or 13.8 per cent less compared to the period May–December 2021 (41,637 persons). Regarding the indicators set for the implementation of the Employment Strategy 2021–2030, the Committee notes that the employment rate of the population (20–64 years) is 3.1 percentage points below the 2030 target (79 per cent). Regarding the indicator of persons who have participated in training in the previous months, data shows that in 2022, the indicator’s value is 20.6 per cent, significantly below the average European level of 46.6 per cent. The Government also informs that the labour market programmes and measures are subject to regular monitoring and analysis and the estimates show that nearly three out of five of the surveyed persons from the participants in the employment and training programmes and measures have become long-term employable in the labour market through re-employment or by starting their own business. The Government further informs that the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (MLSP) is developing and implementing a Strategy for the Development of Corporate Social Responsibility aiming to stimulate and encourage the creation of socially and environmentally enterprises. The Committee also notes that the MLSP is developing a targeted policy to support social entrepreneurship, social innovation, and the social economy, which will allow persons from vulnerable groups to find employment, develop their abilities, and break away from their dependence on social welfare systems. In addition, the Government informs about the measure “Promoting the social economy at local and regional level” implemented under the Human Resources Development Programme aiming to support existing or emerging enterprises. Activities under the measure include raising the visibility of social enterprises, stimulating partnerships, involving representatives of vulnerable groups in training courses and providing subsidized employment for a period of 6 to 24 months. The Committee notes that, according to the 2024 European Semester country report for Bulgaria, persistent labour shortages are observed across key sectors, particularly in health, education, information technology and construction, reflecting structural skills mismatches and regional imbalances. The report emphasizes the need to scale up reskilling and upskilling initiatives to support the green and digital transitions, including through investments under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+). The Committee also notes the 2025 analysis by the OECD indicating that Bulgaria faces significant demographic headwinds, including a shrinking working-age population and sustained outward migration, which further heighten the urgency of comprehensive activation measures, continuous adult learning and territorially tailored employment strategies to sustain labour supply and productivity growth. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed, updated information, including statistical data disaggregated by sex, age, migration status and region, on employment and labour-market trends, including visible underemployment. It also requests information on progress in achieving the benchmarks set in the Employment Strategy 2021–2030, particularly those targeting groups in vulnerable situations and regions with higher unemployment rates. The Committee further requests the Government to indicate: (i) the measurable outcomes of key employment programmes in terms of job placements, sustainability of employment and transitions to regular work; (ii) the mechanisms used to evaluate their effectiveness and cost-efficiency; and (iii) how national active labour-market measures are coordinated with EU and national policy frameworks, including the RRP, HRDP and the European Employment Strategy, to ensure coherence with the objective of full, productive and freely chosen employment.

Undeclared work. The Government informs that the commitment to tackle undeclared work encompasses initiatives aiming to create a culture of commitment to work in the declared economy and includes campaigns to inform undeclared workers about the risks and costs of undeclared work and the benefits of formalizing their work (for example, informing them what their taxes are spent on) and legal incentives to encourage enterprises to work on a declared basis. The Government also stresses the specific role of the trade unions and informs that the Employment Agency has concluded an agreement with the two nationally representative trade unions to counter undeclared work. The Committee requests the Government to: (i) provide specific information on the implementation and results of the agreement between the Employment Agency and the trade unions, including measurable indicators on reductions in undeclared employment and transitions to formal work; (ii) describe coordination mechanisms between labour inspection, tax authorities, and social partners in combating undeclared work; and (iii) report on how these measures contribute to achieving the Employment Strategy’s formalization benchmarks and improving compliance with labour legislation.

Young persons. The Government indicates that the leading priorities of the national employment policy include reducing unemployment among young persons up to the age of 29 (incl.), increasing their employability and successful integration into sustainable and quality jobs. The Committee notes that according to the data of the Employment Agency for the period January–May 2024, the share of unemployed young persons under 29 is 11.3 per cent of all registered unemployed persons in the Labour Bureaus (18,431 persons). The share of women is 55 per cent (10,044 persons) and of men – 45 per cent (8,387 persons). For the period January–May 2024, the largest number of unemployed young persons registered in the Labour Bureaus is in the districts of Plovdiv (1,730 persons), Blagoevgrad (1,308) and Sofia-capital (1,153 persons). The Government informs that a wide range of mediation services are provided to young persons, registered with the Labour Bureaus, such as referral to vacancies on the primary labour market, inclusion in employment programmes and incentives, participation in job fairs, psychological support and assistance from a case manager. In this context, the Committee notes that in the period January–May 2024, 1,809 young persons received psychological support and 228 – services from a case manager. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed updated information, including statistical information disaggregated by age, sex and region, on the impact of measures designed to increase the employability of young people, particularly on their ability to secure sustainable, lasting employment and decent work. It also invites the Government to provide information on how youth employment initiatives are coordinated with the Youth Guarantee and EU-supported training schemes to ensure effective transitions from education to work.

Persons belonging to the Roma minority. The Government reports that in 2023 the number of unemployed persons registered with the Labour Bureaus who self-identify as Roma is 27,141 persons, which is 2,463 more than in 2022. The Government adds that women account for 58.8 per cent of this figure, while persons below the age of 29 account for 15.3 per cent. At the same time, the Committee notes that the Government has continued to implement various measures to increase employability and employment rates. In the period January–May 2024, 3,099 persons participated in initiatives under the National Programme “Activation of inactive persons”, 2,136 persons in vocational guidance and training and 3,091 in Job Search Workshops. In addition, a network of outreach services has been established to reach all jobseekers in small settlements and in 2024, 169 outreach services have been established, providing services to inactive persons and jobseekers in 656 locations. Furthermore, in the structure of the administration of the Employment Agency are included Roma mediators who conduct group and individual meetings with persons from neighbourhoods with a predominantly Roma population. The aim is to motivate persons to look for job, to engage in education and training and to register with the Labour Bureaus to benefit from free employment mediation services. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed updated information, disaggregated by age, sex and district, on the nature, scope and impact of measures taken to promote access to full, productive, freely chosen and lasting employment for members of the Roma community.

Article 3. Consultations with the social partners. The Government refers to the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation (NCTC) which is the main body for cooperation and consultation at national level between the Government and the social partners on issues related to employment, unemployment and vocational training. The Government reports that the NCTC approved amendments to the Employment Promotion Act in June 2022 and the social partners were actively involved in the design and investments under the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan aimed at enhancing the digital skills of the workforce and developing the virtual adult e-learning platform. In addition, the social partners actively participated in the preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Human Resources Development Programme in the period 2021–2027. The Committee requests the Governmentto continue to provide up-to-date information on the nature and extent of the involvement of the social partners, in accordance with Article 3 of the Convention, in the design and implementation of an active employment policy, as well as in respect to consultations held with representatives of groups affected by the measures to be taken, as contemplated under Article 3 of the Convention.