Estimates indicate that by 2034 the top occupations in the labor market search will be nurses and midwives, general education teachers for secondary and elementary education.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ralitsa Ganeva a member of a research team, who made medium and long-term forecasts for the labor market, said this at a forum at Moscow Park Hotel.

According to the expert, despite the demographic crisis and fertility problems, if Bulgaria implements education policies that are standard in Europe, there will be a growing need for teachers. The teacher will remain very important in the labor market for at least the next 15 years, Prof. Ganeva said. In 2024, 204,000 people are expected to be employed in education, half of whom will be over 50 years old and 80% will be women.

Sellers will be declining in demand because of the dwindling trade sector, which is driven by demographics and economic restructuring on the one hand. Waiters, bartenders and cooks will also be less and less sought after.

In the medium term, it is expected that professions requiring lower qualifications will decline and those with specific qualifications will become increasingly important in the labor market, experts summarized.

There is a significant increase in the number of employees in the government as well, with the leading professions being administrative soecialists.

Regional imbalances in the labor market will increase and the proportion of workers over 55 will also increase. 

Most people with higher education will be looking for jobs in Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna, with secondary and primary education in Sofia, Plovdiv and Burgas. In 2024 one in four people will work in the manufacturing industry.

After 2020, the impact of negative demographic processes will lead to a decrease in employment, with a 6% drop for the period from 2020 to 2034.