SOFIA: Activity rate of Bulgarian population aged 15 – 64 was 68.3% in the first quarter of 2016, remaining the same as in the first quarter of 2015, show the data of Bulgaria’s National Statistical Institute. The employment rate for population aged 15 – 64 was 62.3%, up by 1.3 percentage points from the respective quarter of 2015. The unemployment rate was 8.6%, by 2.0 percentage points lower compared to the same quarter of 2015. There were 1,483,700 economically inactive persons aged 15 – 64, accounting for 31.7% of population in the same age group. Of them 176,400 (11.9%) were discouraged persons. Compared with a year ago the number of discouraged persons (aged 15 – 64) decreased by 14,600.
In the first quarter of 2016 there were 2,975,100 employed persons aged 15 years and over, of whom 1,586,100 men and 1,389,100 women. The share of employed persons in the total population aged 15 years and over was 48.5%, up by 0.8 percentage points compared to the first quarter of 2015. In employment were 53.8% of men and 43.6% of women of the age group concerned.
In the first quarter of 2016 the number of employed persons in the industry sector achieved 901,700, representing 30.3% of all in employment. In the services sector worked 1,891,100 persons (63.6% of all employed), while in agriculture, forestry and fishing worked 182,300 (6.1%). Of all employed persons 3.7% (108,900) were employers, 7.5% (223,700) were self-employed persons without employees, 88.1% (2,622,300) were employees and 0.7% (20,300) were unpaid family workers. Among the employees 1,951,100 persons (74.4%) worked in private sector and 671,200 (25.6%) worked in public sector.
