According to the latest figures of Eurostat, the employment rate of Bulgarians, aged between 20 and 64, increased from 63.5 % in 2013 to 65.1 % in 2014, but remained below the EU average of 69.2 %.

The employment rates increased for both Bulgarian men and women in 2014, reaching respectively 68.1 % and 62 %.

The employment rate of Bulgarians, aged between 55 and 64, increased to 50 % in 2014, remaining slightly below the EU average of 51.8 %.

Bulgaria had one of the narrowest gender employment gaps (-6.1 p.p.), ranking fifth in the EU and well above the EU average of -11.5 p.p.

For the first time since the financial crisis, the employment rate of people aged between 20 and 64 in the European Union (EU), increased in 2014.

The employment rate reached 69.2 %, but remained short of the 2008 peak, when it stood at 70.3 %.

A similar trend can be observed for men, their employment rate reaching 75 % in 2014, while women had an employment rate of 63.5 %.

The Europe 2020 strategy set out a target for the total employment rate of people aged 20 to 64 in the EU to reach at least 75 % by 2020.

The aim has been translated into national targets, reflecting the circumstances and possibilities of each member state to contribute to the common goal, that for Bulgaria being 76 %.

The employment rate of people aged between 55 and 64 in the EU also continued to grow, reaching 51.8 % in 2014.

The greater employment rates of older workers is another objective of the Europe 2020 strategy on employment.

The employment rate for people aged between 20 and 64 increased in almost all member states, most strongly in Hungary, Portugal, Croatia and Lithuania.

The highest employment rates were recorded in Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, while Greece, Croatia, Spain and Italy registered the lowest rates.

The employment rates of men and women continued to vary considerably between member states, with the gender employment gap being the narrowest in Finland and the widest in Malta.