Annual statistics on employment and labour costs - 2024 - final data

The number of employees under labour contract in 2024 increased by 21.0 thousand, or by 0.9%, as compared to 2023 and reached 2.32 million according to the final data of the National Statistical Institute (NSI).

The highest increase compared to the previous year was observed in the following economic activities: ‘Human health and social work activities’ - by 11.3 thousand, ‘Accommodation and food service activities’ - by 7.3 thousand, and ‘Construction’ - by 6.7 thousand. The highest decrease in the number of employees - by 16.4 thousand, was recorded in ‘Manufacturing’, followed by ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ - by 2.9 thousand.

In percentages, the highest increase in 2024, as compared to 2023, was registered in the economic activity ‘Human health and social work activities’ - by 6.6% and in ‘Accommodation and food service activities’ - by 6.4%, and the highest decrease was reported in ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ - by 4.4%.

By occupations, according to the International Standard classification of Occupations (ISCO-08), the major groups, with the highest share of the number of employees, were: ‘Professionals’ - 20.3% (457.6 thousand), followed by ‘Service and sales workers’ - 18.6% (419.6 thousand) and ‘Plant and machine operators, and assemblers’ - 12.3% (277.3 thousand). ‘Managers’ represented 7.0% (158.0 thousand) of all employees, as the employees in ‘Elementary occupations’ were 12.3% (276.0 thousand). With the lowest share were the ‘Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers’ - 0.5% or 10.5 thousand.

In 2024, in the districts Sofia (stolitsa), Plovdiv and Varna worked nearly half of the employees under labour contract in the country. In Sofia (stolitsa) worked 33.9% (788.8 thousand) employees, in Plovdiv - 9.9% (230.5 thousand) and in Varna - 6.6% (153.6 thousand). With the lowest number of employees were the districts Vidin - 16.2 thousand, Silistra - 19.7 thousand and Targovishte - 24.8 thousand.

The average annual gross wages and salaries of the employees under labour contract in 2024 amounted to 27 898 BGN and increased by 13.9% compared to 2023.

The highest growth rates were recorded in the economic activities: ‘Construction’ - by 22.6%, ‘Arts, entertainment and recreation’ - by 17.1% and ‘Transportation and storage’ - by 16.9%.

The economic activities with the highest wages and salaries in 2024 were:

• ‘Information and communication’ - 64 537 BGN;
• ‘Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply’ - 41 631 BGN;
• ‘Financial and insurance activities’ - 41 620 BGN.

The lowest wages and salaries were recorded in:

• ‘Accommodation and food service activities’ - 17 044 BGN;
• ‘Other service activities’ - 17 872 BGN;
• ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ - 19 401 BGN.

By occupations, according to the International Standard classification of Occupations (ISCO-08), the major groups with the highest gross annual wages and salaries were: ‘Managers’ - 72 952 BGN (9.7% increase compared to 2023), followed by ‘Professionals’ - 43 142 BGN (12.6% increase compared to 2023) and ‘Technicians and associate professionals’ - 30 634 BGN (13.7% increase compared to 2023). With the lowest annual wages and salaries were the employees in ‘Elementary occupations’ - 14 614 BGN, it increased by 17.1% compared to the previous year.

By districts, in 2024, Sofia (stolitsa) was with the highest annual wages and salaries - 38 728 BGN, followed by Varna and Sofia - 26 007 and 25 190 BGN respectively. The districts with the lowest wages and salaries were: Smolyan - 18 909 BGN, Kyustendil - 18 976 BGN and Blagoevgrad - 19 037 BGN.

Methodological notes

The source of information is the annual survey on number of employees, wages and salaries and other labour costs. The survey is exhaustive for all public and private sector enterprises.

Employees are all persons who have a labour contract (fixed or payment; full-time or part-time) with their employer by virtue of the Labour Code or the Civil Servants Act and who receive remuneration in cash or in kind for certain quality and quantity of work done.

The average annual wages and salaries are calculated through dividing the total amount of wages and salaries costs which accrued during the reference year by the average annual number of employees under labour contract excluding those on maternity leaves.

More methodological information on the annual survey and more data can be found on NSI’s official website and in Information System INFOSTAT.