The Bulgarian city of Ruse is experiencing a significant rise in the recruitment of foreign labor, with most newcomers arriving from Nepal and Bangladesh. Despite an average salary of around 1,980 leva and unemployment slightly above 3%, local businesses are struggling to fill vacancies in several key industries. The Regional Labor Inspectorate reports that so far, 246 notifications for the employment of workers from non-EU countries have been submitted in the region.

The director of the Labor Inspectorate in Ruse, Irena Nikolaeva, confirmed that most foreign employees are concentrated in the furniture, hotel, restaurant, and textile sectors. “The largest groups come from Nepal and Bangladesh, but we also see a considerable number of Ukrainians, which is a direct result of the ongoing war in Ukraine,” she explained.

Miglena Hristova, member of the Management Board of the Textile and Leather Association, added that the shortage of workers extends beyond manufacturing. “We are facing difficulties in finding people for cleaning services and animal husbandry as well. Bulgarians increasingly prefer office jobs and avoid physical labor. This leaves us with no choice but to hire workers from third countries to keep our businesses running,” she said, emphasizing that both local and foreign employees receive equal pay.

The Labor Inspectorate confirms that no differences in salaries are permitted, and the law explicitly forbids any form of “social dumping.” Nikolaeva stated that inspections consistently show foreign workers receive the same wages as Bulgarians performing identical tasks. “The law is clear – no one can be hired from a third country under less favorable conditions,” she underlined.

So far, there have been no complaints filed by foreign employees, although Nikolaeva noted that language barriers and limited knowledge of Bulgarian labor laws could be a factor. “They are still unfamiliar with their rights, but we are ready to receive reports and provide interpretation when necessary,” she said.

Illegal employment remains rare due to the complex administrative process involved in securing work permits. Only a few cases of undocumented employment were found last year, while in 2025 no such violations have been recorded.

Currently, several groups of workers from Bangladesh and other countries are temporarily housed in the student dormitories of the University of Ruse as they await final approval for official employment. “We expect their documents to be processed soon and the notifications for their hiring to be submitted,” Nikolaeva added.