site.bta2027 Minimum Wage Should Become Known by End-September This Year

After the process of drafting amendments to the Ordinance on the Structure and Organization of Wages is finalized, a new mechanism for determining the minimum wage in Bulgaria is expected to be adopted by the end of August. The mechanism should be used to set the minimum wage for 2027 by the end of September 2026, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Galab Donev told a briefing on Wednesday.

He added: "We have unanimously adopted the criteria for determining the national minimum wage." An assessment of the adequacy of the minimum wage and the reference values used in assessing it should be carried out once every four years. The working group has set the reference value at 50% of the average basic wage, Donev said.

According to Labour and Social Policy Minister Nataliya Efremova, talks on the formula for determining the most appropriate minimum wage are due to take place later this week. Participants will also discuss what data is required to form the basis for developing specific indicators for the criteria. It has been agreed that the criteria should include the purchasing power of statutory minimum wages, taking into account the cost of living, the general level of wages and their distribution, the rate of wage growth, and the long-term levels and trends in national productivity, Efremova said.