site.btaWeak Modernization, Unclear Labour Quality Among Risks of Importing Workers from Third Countries

Weak modernization and unclear labour quality are among the risks of importing workers from third countries to Bulgaria, experts said during a roundtable discussion on Monday. They commented that the use of low-skilled labour may slow down the technological development of businesses in Bulgaria. Another issue raised by participants was that migrant workers often send their earnings back to their home countries, and these funds leave the local economy.

The topic was the focus of a discussion organized by the Expert Club for Economics and Policy (EKIP) and the Institute for Trade Union and Social Research and Training. The event took place at the Military Club in Sofia.

“When labour is cheaper, companies have less incentive to invest in capital, automation, new technologies, and productivity improvements,” said Georgi Vuldzhev from EKIP. Only 8.5% of companies in Bulgaria had integrated artificial intelligence by 2025, compared to an average of 20% in the European Union, he noted.

The import of workers from third countries has reached significant levels and is expected to play an increasingly important role in Bulgaria, Vuldzhev added. He said that Bulgaria has one of the more liberal regimes for importing labour. He also noted legislative proposals to increase quotas for workers from third countries. However, in his view, a detailed analysis of the current situation is needed before making changes. Several institutions—the Employment Agency, the Migration Directorate, and Eurostat - have differing data on the number of permits, the sectors where foreign workers are employed, and their wages compared to local workers, Vuldzhev said.

According to the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), 46,000 foreign workers gained access to the Bulgarian labour market in 2025, Vuldzhev noted. This represents a 28% increase compared to 2024, he added.

Atanaska Todorova from the Institute stated that workers relied upon by Bulgarian businesses come from 86 countries. In Europe, however, labour imports typically come from fewer countries, she explained. Todorova highlighted the lack of prior assessment of workers’ professional skills and whether they will perform quality work. She also pointed to issues related to cultural differences - for example, cases where male workers refuse to take instructions from women. She urged that “social dumping” should not be allowed.

The integration of workers from third countries is important to avoid problems seen in other countries, said economist Dimitar Chobanov. He said that in Bulgaria there are already food delivery workers with whom communication must be in English because they do not speak Bulgarian.

Despite the outlined risks, participants in the discussion were unanimous that importing workers is necessary for certain sectors.