Technical Support Instrument: supporting the National Employment Agency to enhance jobseeker support in Bulgaria

Today, during a high level event, the European Commission, the Bulgarian National Employment Agency (NEA), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) launched a technical support project to optimise the support the NEA provides to jobseekers and employers. Bulgaria’s Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Ivanka Shalapatova, met with representatives from the three organisations to kickstart the project and emphasise the pivotal role the NEA plays in preparing the Bulgarian labour market for future challenges. While Bulgaria has made significant progress in its labour market, experiencing increased employment levels and growing wages, challenges persist. Nearly 1 million working-age adults remain without a job, labour market outcomes for vulnerable groups lag behind, and 17% of 18-24 year-olds are not engaged in education, employment, or training. Simultaneously, labour shortages have built up, with certain sectors struggling to secure qualified candidates.

In the years to come, population ageing, the green transition and the digital transformation will lead to major changes in the labour market, creating ripe job opportunities for some groups while reducing labour demand for others. The NEA, as a mediator, will need to take into account the new trends and adjust its working methods to remain as effective as possible in connecting people with sustainable jobs in the future.

In order to tackle these challenges, the NEA asked for technical support. “Through the Technical Support Instrument, the Commission supports improving the efficiency and the modernisation of public employment services. Our project with Bulgaria’s National Public Employment Agency should enable the NEA to better service jobseekers in the context of the green and digital transition” says Mario Nava, Director-General of the Directorate-General of Structural Reform Support of the European Commission.

“One key step to ensure that the NEA can meet its objective and support the Bulgarian labour market to adapt to the rapid and far-reaching developments ahead is assessing and optimising the processes and services of the NEA. This is what this project will do” says Stefano Scarpetta, OECD Director for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs. The project has ambitious objectives, aiming to improve NEA’s administrative and technological capacity while ensuring its operations and offerings are up to date.

The close collaboration between the OECD, the European Commission and the NEA comes at a time where deepening integration with European countries and the OECD is a political key priority for Bulgaria. Bulgaria aims to join the Schengen Area, the eurozone and the OECD.