Bulgarie

After a decade of sustained growth averaging more
than 5 percent a year, the Bulgarian economy
contracted sharply as the global economic crisis hit
the country in 2008. The subsequent recovery
remains very modest. The employment rate among
the working age population (aged 16 to 64) over the
past three years has been persistently below preͲ
crisis levels. Unemployment more than doubled from
5.7 percent in 2008 to 12.4 percent in 2012,
unleashing jobͲseeking emigration, especially among
the young Bulgarians. The government has
responded with a series of shortͲterm measures
(e.g., subsidized employment) to restore growth and
employment. In the longer term, however,
continuously building a skilled workforce will be
fundamental for Bulgaria’s competitiveness and for
promoting sustained growth and shared prosperity,
especially in light of the country’s projected sharp
decline in the workforce due to population aging. In
light of the above, the government is considering a
number of reforms of the education sector, including
a new underlying law on preschool and school
education and amendments to the law on vocational
and technical training.

This report presents the main findings and general recommendations of the 2015 SOLIDAR Foundation Education and Lifelong Learning Watch. Based on an extensive consultation with SOLIDAR members and partners, this initiative evaluates progress towards the achievement of the educational objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy and Education and Training 2020 strategic framework for Member States. The report assesses the policy actions dedicated to fight youth unemployment and support young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs) in 13 countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom).

Bulgaria is undergoing both a rapid demographic transition and a significant structural shift in its economy. Increasing longevity combined with low fertility and emigration have made Bulgaria’s age structure increasingly top-heavy and its dependency ratios higher. At the same time, the economic sectors that absorbed low-skilled workers during the high-growth early 2000s, such as construction and manufacturing, were those that contracted most during the 2008–09 economic crisis and they have not yet recovered. Meanwhile, activities demanding high-skilled labor, such as financial and business services and information, communication, and technology, have been faring relatively well.

This study looks at direct measures of two types of skills that employer’s value: cognitive skills, such as functional literacy and numeracy, and socio-emotional skills, such as self-discipline, perseverance, and ability to work well with others. The objective is to assess the extent to which these direct measures shed light on what matters for labor market success, defined as being in the labor force, being employed, and earning more.