The updated Employment Strategy of Bulgaria 2008-2015 pays special attention to the development of the labour market in various parts of the country. It is aligned with the updated Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs, Labour and Social Policy Minister Emilia Maslarova said on Friday, speaking at a presentation of the strategy.

A programme financed by EU funds under the Operational Programme for Human Resources Development will encourage entrepreneurship. Maslarova said that unemployment since the
beginning of 2008 is 6.6 per cent.

According to the European Commission, Bulgaria should increase the quality of its work force and increase employment, said Philip Busch of the European Commission's Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. Busch also said that Bulgaria's education system should be reformed in order to prevent children's early dropping out of school.
According to the European Commission, the country should curb unregulated labour by enhancing the powers of the General Inspectorate of Labour.

The updated Employment Strategy envisages that the retirement age will increase from 64.1 to 68 years, said Deputy Labour and Social Policy Minister Dimiter Dimitrov. By 2015 the employment coefficient will reach 72 per cent, he said.

The strategy also envisages that the share of those who leave the education system early will decrease from 16.6 per cent to 10 per cent. As a result of the implementation of the strategy,
the employment coefficient among young people will reach 30 per cent, and unemployment in this group will decrease from 19,1 per cent to 10 per cent. Productivity will increase from 35.7 per cent to 50 per cent.