Employment among people aged 55-64 in Bulgaria is increasing

The Bulgarian government approved a report on the coverage of the National Concept for promoting the active life of the elderly in Bulgaria (2012 - 2030) in sectoral policies for the period 2017 - 2018. The document presents the main demographic trends, challenges and actions taken by the relevant institutions for promoting the active life of older people and in response to an aging population.

The report includes the results of the measures introduced to ensure that older people have better access to the labour market, health services and lifelong learning, and to reduce poverty.

Data show that during 2017-2018, unemployment continues to decline and employment increases among the older population. In 2017, unemployment rate for people aged 55 and older is 5.6%, and in 2018 the indicator dropped to 4.4%. In 2018, the employment rate of people aged 55-64 was 60.7%, which is 2.5 percentage points more than the previous year.

According to the Employment Agency, in 2018, 71,893 people over 50 came into employment. The figure is by 1,196 higher than in 2017. In the period 2017-2018, 34 192 people over the age of 50 were included in employment under programmes and incentives funded by the state budget or the Operational Program "Human Resources Development".