site.btaBulgaria's Job Vacancy Rate among EU's Lowest in Q1 2026

At 0.9%, Bulgaria's job vacancy rate was among the EU's lowest in the first quarter of 2026, according to Eurostat data published on Tuesday. The share of vacancies in the country increased from 0.8% in the last quarter of 2025 and remained unchanged year-on-year. 

The job vacancy rate was 2.3% in the euro area in the first quarter of 2026, up from 2.2% in the fourth quarter of 2025 and down from 2.4% in the first quarter of 2025. The job vacancy rate in the European Union was 2.1% in the first quarter of 2026, unchanged from the fourth quarter of 2025 and down from 2.2% in the first quarter of 2025.

In the euro area, the job vacancy rate in the first quarter of 2026 was 2.0% in industry and construction, and 2.4% in services. In the EU, the rate was 1.8% in industry and construction, and 2.3% in services.

Among the EU Member States for which comparable data are available, the highest job vacancy rates in the first quarter of 2026 were recorded in the Netherlands (4.0%) and Belgium (3.4%), followed by Malta (3.3%) and Austria (3.1%).

The lowest rates were observed in Romania (0.6%) and Poland (0.8%), followed by Bulgaria, Spain and Slovakia (all 0.9%).

In the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same quarter of the previous year, the job vacancy rate increased in three Member States, remained stable in eight Member States and decreased in 16 Member States. The increases were observed in Malta (+0.4 pp), Portugal and Slovenia (both +0.2 pp). The largest decreases were recorded in Belgium (-0.7 pp), Austria (-0.5 pp), followed by Denmark and Italy (both -0.4 pp) and France (-0.3 pp).