Job postings in Bulgaria continue to decline across all sectors both monthly and annually. In July, we recorded a drop of 12% – over 5,000 fewer postings compared to June.
This marks the sixth consecutive month of year-on-year decreases in job availability.
A drop in job postings is observed in all sectors. There are several reasons for this: July is a period of summer vacations when both employers and job seekers are less active. We are in a time of economic stagnation, with the adoption and integration of AI (Artificial Intelligence) technologies in work processes, increased import of workers from third countries, low unemployment, and other factors. All of these contribute, to varying degrees, to the reduced job supply.
The sectors with the largest decline in postings are:
- Hospitality and Catering (–2,000 postings, –27%)
- Trade and Sales (–1,130 postings, –10%)
- Manufacturing (–930 postings, –12%)
Declines are also recorded in the remaining sectors as follows:
- Logistics and Transport (–570 postings, –11%)
- Administrative and Support Services (–430 postings, –8%)
- Healthcare and Pharmacy (–120 postings, –6%)
- Marketing and Advertising (–110 postings, –10%)
- Accounting, Audit, Finance (–110 postings, –5%)
- IT (–90 postings, –3%)
- Construction (–50 postings, –2%)
On an annual basis, all sectors show fewer job postings, with the sole exception of the Construction sector, which records a 5% growth. The dynamics in the number of job postings in other sectors are illustrated in the chart below.
Share distribution
The distribution of job postings in May is as follows:
The Trade and Sales sector continues to account for more than a quarter of the total supply, with a 26% share. It is followed by Manufacturing (17%), Hospitality and Catering (14%), Administrative and Support Services (11.9%), Logistics and Transport (11.6%), IT (7%), Construction (6.7%), Healthcare and Pharmacy (5.3%), Accounting, Audit, Finance (4.9%), Marketing and Advertising (3%), and Arts (1%).
Remote work
The number of offers for remote and/or work-from-home positions remains unchanged compared to June. Such postings amount to around 3,100, making up 9% of the monthly supply.
The distribution of these opportunities by sector is as follows: 55% in the IT sector, followed by Administrative and Support Services (16%), the outsourcing (BPO) industry (14%), and Trade and Sales (9%).
It is noteworthy that the share of such postings is decreasing in sectors not directly related to information technologies. This is why, with the total number of such offers unchanged, the share of the IT sector increases (55% compared to 45% in June).
Job postings by cities
A decline in job postings is also observed in all regional cities: Sofia (–9%), Plovdiv (–14%), Varna (–14%), Burgas (–16%), Ruse (–18%), Stara Zagora (–10%).
In terms of share distribution, Sofia accounts for 41% of postings, while the remaining cities have the following proportions: Plovdiv (10%), Varna (9%), Burgas (4%), Ruse (3%), and Stara Zagora (3%).
The JobТiger team will continue to monitor and inform you about labor market dynamics in the country in the coming months.