In the fourth quarter of 2011 the employment rate for population aged 15 - 64 was 58.7% (by 0.3 percentage points lower than in the fourth quarter of 2010). For the same period the unemployment rate went up by 0.2 percentage points to 11.4%.
1. Main labour market indicators for the population aged 15 - 64
According to the results from the Labour Force Survey, carried out by the National Statistical Institute in the fourth quarter of 2011 the economically active population aged 15 - 64 was 3 292.1 thousand. The total activity rate was 66.3% and in comparison with the fourth quarter of 2010 was by 0.3 percentage points lower.
In the fourth quarter of 2011 the employment rate for population aged 15 - 64 was 58.7% - respectively 60.6% for men and 56.8% for women. Compared to the same period of 2010 employment rate (15 - 64 years) fell by 0.3 percentage points, as a decrease was observed only for men - by 1.1 percentage points.
Between the fourth quarters of 2010 and 2011 the employment rate for population aged 20 - 64 years (an Europe 2020 indicator) went down by 0.6 percentage points and reached 64.1% - 66.1% for men and 62.0% for women respectively.
Discouraged persons aged 15 - 64 were 225.4 thousand (124.8 thousand men and 100.6 thousand women), as compared to the fourth quarter of 2010 their number remained almost the same.
2. Main characteristics of employed persons aged 15 years and over
In the fourth quarter of 2011 the total number of employed persons aged 15 years and over was 2 955.2 thousand, accounting 45.7% of population in the same age group. In comparison with the same quarter of 2010 their number decreased by 68.5 thousand (2.3%), and their proportion of population by 0.6 percentage points respectively. Out of the total number of employed 1 529.8 thousand were men and 1 425.5 thousand were women. Over a year the number of employed men went down by 3.2% and that of women by 1.2%.
In the fourth quarter of 2011 the number of employed persons having attained higher education was 807.6 thousand (27.3% of employed), 1 807.4 thousand (61.2%) had completed upper secondary education and 340.2 thousand (11.5%) had lower secondary education or less.
In all three groups by level of education the number of employed was lower than in the fourth quarter of 2010.
The decrease in employment between fourth quarters of 2010 and 2011 affected more persons running their own businesses and other independent workers than the employees.
3. Unemployment
In the fourth quarter of 2011 the number of unemployed was 380.9 thousand and the unemployment rate - 11.4%. In comparison with the same quarter of 2010 the unemployment rate increased for men (by 0.7 percentage points) and decreased for women (by 0.4 percentage points) and in the fourth quarter of 2011 male unemployment (12.8%) was by 2.9 percentage points higher than female unemployment (9.9%).
The young unemployed (15 - 24 years of age) were 72.9 thousand, and the youth unemployment rate reached 28.9%. The rate was 29.8% for men and 27.5% for women respectively.
For more detailed information http://www.nsi.bg/EPDOCS/LFS2011q4_en.pdf