The average monthly salary in Bulgaria in 2009 is expected to be 600 leva (roughly equal to 300 euros), or 14.2 per cent up than the amount in 2008, Deputy Labour and Social Policy Minister Lazar Lazarov said during a seminar of the Ministry in Hissarya, Southern Bulgaria.

Preliminary statistics show that the average salary in 2008 was 525 leva, 21 per cent more than in 2007. The increase in 2005 to 2008 is 62 per cent. The average monthly salary in the private sector during this time increased by 66 per cent. The minimum wage grew from 150 leva in 2005 to 240 leva in 2009.

The share of salaries in the structure of labor costs in 2005 to 2008 increased by 6.1 per cent while that of social security and health insurance fell by 4.1 per cent. Social security contributions decreased by 11.5 per cent in 2005 to 2009. For employers the figure dropped by 12 per cent but grew 0.6 per cent for employees, Lazarov said.

Source: BTA