The Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB/KNSB) and Sofia Development Association published a new EU-funded study on access to the Bulgarian labour market for two groups of third-country nationals (TCNs): 1) asylum seekers and refugees and 2) economic migrants.

The study explores to what extent the existing legal and policy framework facilitates or hampers their inclusion in the labour market; analyses the migration flows and current situation of labour market integration; offers an overview of the main existing publications and research in the field; reports on the results of a sociological survey conducted for the purpose of the report, which aims to identify the most common problems in TCN access to the labour market and the attitudes of Bulgarian employers; makes recommendations to state institutions, trade unions, and the civil sector.

Key findings of the study include:

• COVID-19 and the ensuing economic crisis limited economic activity in various sectors, and the uncertainty created by the economic slowdown had an effect on the entire labour market.
• With declining employment and rising unemployment, interest in hiring TCNs is declining. The inclusion in the labour market of migrants, TCNs, refugees and asylum seekers are an effective means of overcoming demographic and structural disparities, especially for regions with an aging population and a lack of young people with the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of the labour market.
• The progress made in recent years in improving the integration of migrants will be slowed down if the state does not provide sufficient funds for their faster integration into the labour market to contribute to economic development. Neglecting the problem would lead to rising unemployment and an additional burden on public funds.

In its conclusion the study notes: “The results of the survey show that businesses show willingness and readiness to work with TCNs and will make efforts to take advantage of this additional opportunity to address labour shortages. For refugees and asylum seekers, their inclusion in the labour process is key to achieving economic independence and an impetus to successful integration and a new life.”