ACTIVE LABOUR MARKET POLICY IN BULGARIA IN AN ECONOMIC CRISIS CONTEXT

Abstract

In the conditions of economic crisis and decreasing capacity on the part of the business to create and maintain jobs, interest in an active labour market policy in support of employment and human capital through various tools, among which is the National Action Plan for Employment, is increasing. The financial resources for an active labour market policy have increased by more than four times since 2009. They have been invested in initiatives for improving people's opportunities for sustainable employment through additional training, for providing support in job-seeking and in starting one’s own business, for employers' incentives to increase their numbers of staff, etc. This study analyses and systematises a range of characteristics of the on-going active labour market policies in Bulgaria in an economic crisis situation and evaluates their more significant sides both in terms of their quantity but also content and structure in the context of the overall development of the economy and human capital. The conclusions concern some key features of employment and the labour force, which should be taken into account in the future formulation and implementation of an active labour market policy in Bulgaria.