Press releases

According to preliminary data during the first quarter of 2010 in comparison with the correspondence period in 2009 is observed а drop at goods carriages in transport as all. The goods carried decreased by 15.6% and the transport performance in tonnekilometres by 21.5%. Over the previous quarter of 2009 also is registered a decrease for the goods carried, as well for the transport performance by 26.6% and 46.9%. During the first quarter of 2010 transported passengers are with 3.8% less than the passengers in the fourth quarter of 2009. In comparison with corresponding period in previous year, there is also decrease with 1.4%. Transport performance in passengerkilometres increased in comparison with the first quarter of 2009 by 4.5%, but over the last three months, there is a drop by 4.6%.

In May 2010 the total business climate indicator decreases by 0.4 percentage points in comparison with April due to the worsening of the business climate in retail trade by 5.3 percentage points. In the rest of the sectors observed by the NSI business surveys a slight improvement is registered.

Producer Price Index on Domestic Market in April 2010 increased by 1.9% compared to the previous month, while compared to the same month of 2009 the domestic prices rose by 5.6%. Total Producer Price Index in Industry increased by 2.1% compared to the previous month, compared to the same month of 2009 the prices rose by 8.1%.

In April 2010 the number of the trips of Bulgarian residents in abroad was 340.2 thousand, which was 29.5% less than the number of the trips in April.
In April 2010, the number of arrivals of visitors from abroad to Bulgaria was 519.9 thousand or 7.0% more than the number of trips in the same month of 2009.

In the first quarter of 2010 the employment rate of population aged 15-64 recorded a fall by 3.8 percentage points compared to the same quarter of 2009 and stood at 58.8%.

In the first quarter of 2010, the municipal authorities have issued building permits for construction of 987 residential buildings, of 49 administrative buildings/offices and 868 other buildings. The construction of 462 residential buildings, of 31 administrative buildings/ offices and 332 other buildings has been started.

The index of producer prices in agriculture decreases by 8.1% in the first quarter of 2010 as compared to the same quarter 2009. Decreases were registered in the crop by 10.5%, and in livestock – by 5.3%.

The index of prices of means of production used in agriculture for the first quarter of 2010 is 2.6% below the same quarter of 2009.

In the first quarter of 2010, 2 003 accommodation establishments - hotels, motels, camping sites, mountain chalets and other establishments for short-term accommodation with more than 10 bed places were functioned in the country. In the first quarter of 2010, the total number of the nights spent in all accommodation establishments fell by 130 thousand (8.0%) to 1 494.9 thousand compared to same period in 2009.

The newly built residential buildings completed in 2009 were 2 975 and as compared to the 2008 an increase of 1.7% was marked. The newly built dwellings in them reached 22 058, or 5.4% more in comparison with the 2008.

According to the preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute (NSI) the number of employees under labour contract at the end of March 2010 decreased by 2.8% as compared to the end of December 2009 and reached to 2.19 millions. In first quarter of 2010 in comparison with the fourth quarter of 2009 the average monthly wages and salaries increased by 2.1% getting 619 levs.