Bulgaria: labor costs up in 2025

Bulgaria saw a sharp rise in labor costs at the close of 2025, with total employer expenses per hour worked increasing by 13.9% in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, according to preliminary figures from the National Statistical Institute. The rise was more pronounced in the services sector, which…

Bulgaria: job openings stay low

Job vacancy levels across Europe showed limited movement at the end of 2025, with Bulgaria remaining among the countries with the lowest rates, according to Eurostat data. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the vacancy rate in the euro area edged up slightly to 2.2% from 2.1% in the previous quarter, although it remained below…

Bulgaria: National Bank receives “Bright Economy” award

Bulgarian National Bank received the “Individual or Organization That Contributed to Limiting and Preventing the Informal Economy Through an Active Position” award in the national “Bright Economy” competition, organized by the Industrial Capital Association in Bulgaria. The award was given for the effective management of the euro adoption process in Bulgaria. The nomination justification states…

Bulgaria: exports to EU down in 2025

Bulgaria recorded a decline in exports to European Union countries in 2025, while imports from the bloc continued to rise, according to data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI). Over the year, Bulgarian exports to EU member states fell by 3.8% compared to 2024, reaching a total value of 27.55 billion euros. The country’s trade…

Bulgaria: milk producers barely break even

The Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC) has highlighted a troubling disparity in Bulgaria’s dairy sector: consumers face some of the highest prices for dairy products in the European Union, while local producers and processors struggle to survive. On March 10, the CPC convened a meeting in Plovdiv with dairy producers and processors from…