site.btaEmployer's Analysis Says Foreign Workers Do Not Replace Bulgarian Employees

Bulgaria's National Employment Agency issued 49,179 permits, opinions and registrations granting third-country nationals access to the labour market in 2025, of which 27,943 (56.8%) were for seasonal or other short-term employment, according to an analysis by the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA).

The analysis says the number of permits should not be equated with the number of foreigners actually working in Bulgaria, as not all approved applicants obtain visas, enter the country or start work.

At the end of 2025, Bulgaria had 2,342,999 employees under employment contracts. Even if all 49,179 procedures resulted in employment, foreign workers would account for about 2.1% of total employment, with the actual share likely lower because many jobs are seasonal, the BIA said.

According to the analysis, labour migration is concentrated mainly in tourism and agriculture, where labour shortages are most acute, while its scale is much more limited in construction, manufacturing, transport and information technology. The data do not support claims that foreign workers are replacing Bulgarian employees, the organization said.

The BIA also said there is no official evidence that hiring third-country nationals has led to layoffs of Bulgarian workers or slowed wage growth. It described labour migration as a complementary tool for addressing labour shortages and called for a unified electronic system to track permits, visas, entry into the country and employment.