The problem with the low remuneration in Bulgaria is one of the most serious ones and affects a great part of the population. The country remains firm at the last position when salaries in the EU are concerned. This is not just an illusion of Bulgarians but a proven fact by the Eurostat and the Bulgarian statistics.

In Bulgaria employers pay averagely 3.7 euro an hour, while in Sweden wages reach 40 euro an hour. This explains why individual consumption in Bulgaria is just 49% of the average European level, despite the fact prices in Bulgaria are usually much lower in comparison to those in other EU members. The difference in the living standards also remains shocking. A major reason is the low productivity of labor in this country. In 2012 the average European produced 32.2 euro an hour while the Bulgarian worker produced just 4.8 euro, studies claim. Keeping this in mind it seems normal that salaries are so low in this country.

These days the Bulgarian statistics reported that employers spent 2.9 percent more for paying salaries in the first quarter of the year. This happened at the backdrop of deflation at the beginning of the year. Earlier it was announced that Bulgaria is among the leaders in Europe when growth of wages is concerned. For a year salaries in Bulgaria rose averagely by 2.8 percent while the average growth in Europe was twice as low. The truth is the wages of Bulgarians remain low but remuneration keeps growing, which is encouraging.

At this backdrop it seems strange that figures show the average salary in Bulgaria declines. During the first 5 months of the year the average gross salary declined 3.9 percent in comparison to the previous trimester, reaching just above 400 euro a month, the National Statistical Institute reports. The explanation is related to seasonal differences on the labor market. Construction stops in winter months as well as agriculture work. Trade also declines after the Christmas holidays.

However, during the past 5 years the remuneration for an hour of labor in Bulgaria has increased by 44.1 percent, which is one of the best achievements in the EU. This provides a reason for moderate optimism when we speak about the incomes of the Bulgarians.

English: Alexander Markov