Unemployment and economic activity rates are decreasing
Employees and average wages and salaries - Fourth quarter of 2025
The number of employees under labour contract at the end of December 2025 decreased by 12.5 thousand, or 0.5%, as compared to the end of September 2025, and reached 2.34 million according to the preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute (NSI). The highest decrease was observed in the economic activities: ‘Accommodation and food service activities’ - by 6.3%, ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ - by 5.0%, and ‘Real estate activities’ - by 3.2%. The highest increase of the number of employees - by 1.3%, was recorded in the economic activity ‘Human health and social work activities’.
At the end of December 2025, as compared to December 2024, the number of employees under labour contract increased by 29.3 thousand, or by 1.3%. The highest increase in absolute figures was observed in the economic activities ‘Human health and social work activities’ - by 11.7 thousand, ‘Construction’ - by 5.6 thousand, and ‘Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles’ - by 5.1 thousand, and the highest decrease was in ‘Manufacturing’ - by 7.6 thousand, and in ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ - by 1.6 thousand. In percentages, the highest increase at the end of December 2025, as compared to December 2024, was in the following economic activities: ‘Human health and social work activities’ - by 5.8%, ‘Arts, entertainment and recreation’ - by 5.1%, and in ‘Other service activities’ - by 4.9%, as the highest decrease was reported in ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ - by 2.5%, and in ‘Mining and quarrying’ - by 2.2%.
The average monthly wages and salaries of the employees under labour contract in October were 2 641 BGN, in November - 2 654 BGN, and in December 2025 - 2 741 BGN.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, in comparison with the third quarter of 2025, the average monthly wages and salaries increased by 5.1% and reached 2 678 BGN. The highest increase in wages and salaries was reported in: ‘Education’ - by 13.0%, ‘Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply’ - by 8.5%, and in ‘Arts, entertainment and recreation’ - by 7.9%.
Compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, the average monthly wages and salaries in the fourth quarter of 2025 rose by 11.0%. The highest growth rates were recorded in the economic activities: ‘Real estate activities’ - by 18.1%, ‘Administrative and support service activities’ - by 15.6%, and ‘Construction’ - by 15.2%.
The economic activities with the highest wages and salaries in the fourth quarter of 2025 were:
- ‘Information and communication’ - 5 739 BGN;
- ‘Financial and insurance activities’ - 3 969 BGN;
- ‘Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply’ - 3 840 BGN.
The lowest wages and salaries were recorded in:
- ‘Accommodation and food service activities’ - 1 617 BGN;
- ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ - 1 770 BGN;
- ‘Other service activities’ - 1 859 BGN.
In comparison with a year earlier, the average monthly wages and salaries in the public sector grew by 10.6% and in the private sector - by 11.2%.
Main Labour Force Survey Results - Fourth quarter of 2025
The unemployment rate was 3.2%, by 0.6 percentage points lower compared to the fourth quarter of 2024.
The employment rate for the population aged 15 - 64 years was 70.7%, remaining unchanged compared to the same quarter of 2024.
The activity rate of the population aged 15 - 64 was 73.1%, by 0.5 percentage points lower compared to the fourth quarter of 2024.
Unemployment
In the fourth quarter of 2025, there were 95.7 thousand unemployed persons, of whom 53.8 thousand (56.2%) men and 41.9 thousand (43.8%) women. The unemployment rate was 3.2%, 3.4% for men and 3.0% for women, respectively.
Among all unemployed persons, 17.6% had attained tertiary education, 54.7% had completed upper secondary education and 27.7% had at most lower secondary education. The unemployment rate by level of educational attainment was as follows: 1.4% for tertiary education, 3.4% for upper secondary education and 11.8% for lower education (lower secondary or less).
In the fourth quarter of 2025, there were 42.1 thousand long-term unemployed people (unemployed for one year or more), representing 43.9% of all unemployed. The long-term unemployment rate was 1.4%.
Among all unemployed, 15.6 thousand persons, or 16.3%, were looking for job for the first time.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, the youth unemployment rate (age group 15 - 29) was 7.3% (8.0% for men and 6.4% for women). Compared to the same quarter of 2024, this rate was higher by 0.8 percentage points, by 0.5 percentage points for men and by 1.2 percentage points for women.
Employment
In the fourth quarter of 2025, there were 2 919.5 thousand employed persons, of whom 1 546.5 thousand men and 1 373.0 thousand women. The employment rate for the population aged 15 years and over was 53.1%, 59.2% for men and 47.5% for women.
In the service sector worked 2 017.3 thousand persons (69.1% of all in employment), in the industry sector - 777.7 thousand (26.6%), and in the agriculture, forestry and fishing - 124.4 thousand (4.3%).
According to the status in employment, the distribution of employed persons was as follows: 5.9% (170.9 thousand) employers, 7.2% (209.3 thousand) self-employed persons without employees, 86.8% (2 532.8 thousand) employees and 0.2% (6.5 thousand) unpaid family workers. Of all employees, 1 865.4 thousand persons (73.7%) worked in the private sector, while 667.3 thousand (26.3%) worked in the public sector. Among all employees, 63.5 thousand persons (2.5%) had а temporary job (with limited duration).
In the fourth quarter of 2025, the employment in specific age groups was as follows:
There were 2 794.8 thousand employed persons aged 15 - 64 (1 478.4 thousand men and 1 316.3 thousand women). The employment rate for the same age group was 70.7% (73.9% for men and 67.5% for women).
The employment rate for the age group 15 - 29 was 33.8% (36.6% for men and 30.8% for women).
The employment rate for the age group 20 - 64 was 76.8% (80.4% for men and 73.2% for women). In comparison with the fourth quarter of 2024, the employment rate (20 - 64 years of age) remained unchanged.
There were 656.4 thousand employed persons aged 55 - 64, representing 72.7% of the population in the same age group (77.3% of men and 68.3% of women). In comparison with the fourth quarter of 2024, the employment rate for the age group 55 - 64 increased by 2.1 percentage points.
Economic inactivity
In the fourth quarter of 2025, there were 2 485.9 thousand economically inactive persons (persons not in the labour force) aged 15 years and over, of whom 1 011.9 thousand (40.7%) men and 1 474.0 thousand (59.3%) women.
The economically inactive persons aged 15 - 64 were 1 063.1 thousand (469.1 thousand men and 594.0 thousand women), representing 26.9% of the population in the same age group (23.5% of men and 30.4% of women). Among all persons not in the labour force aged 15 - 64, 42.2% were inactive due to participation in education or training. There were 19.9 thousand discouraged persons aged 15 - 64, representing 1.9% of the economically inactive population in the same age group.
