Bulgaria's labor market cools, job ads drop and plumbers surge into top demand

The Bulgarian labour market is showing clear signs of cooling after years of strong demand. Vacancies nationwide have fallen to about 21,000 and a leading human‑resources firm reports a roughly one‑third decline in published job ads compared with the previous year. The most pronounced drops are in logistics, transport, manufacturing and especially IT and outsourcing, where postings are down almost 60 % as artificial‑intelligence tools replace routine tasks. Average IT salaries are around €3,000 per month, well above the national average gross wage of €1,475, while cleaning‑sector wages sit at the minimum €620.

Despite the slowdown, unemployment remains low by EU standards. At the same time, a traditionally undervalued trade – plumbing – has entered the top‑10 most sought‑after professions. Shortages are driven by migration of skilled tradespeople to higher‑paying Western markets, a lack of new entrants from vocational schools, and a construction and infrastructure boom. Starting salaries for plumbers range from €1,800‑€2,200, rising to €3,500 for specialists handling complex installations.