World Bank2015-04-132015-04-132014-05https://hdl.handle.net/10986/21734The Bulgarian labor market has suffered from the economic crisis, and cyclical unemployment has turned into structural unemployment. The labor market crisis is amplified by demographic change as the young and skilled labor force emigrates, aggravating a skills mismatch. Vulnerable groups are served by up to five different agencies, depending on the type of services required: the (1) public employment service; (2) social assistance agency; (3) national security institute; (4) ministry of education; and (5) national and territorial expert medical commissions. Cooperation between the labor offices, the social assistance directorates and municipalities is focused mainly on administrative functions and rule enforcement, rather than on labor market inclusion and promotion. This report reviews the design and implementation of activation policies for social assistance recipients and other highly disadvantaged groups in Bulgaria. The report starts by providing an overview of recent labor market trends, including the impact of the economic crisis on the labor market, in general, and on vulnerable groups, in particular. Chapter two describes and analyses the institutional setting for the design and implementation of Bulgaria's activation strategy and policies, as well as institutional capacity and cooperation between institutions. Chapter three analyses the impact of the benefit system on activation. Chapter four reviews the activation process and the implementation of the mutual obligation principle and the targeting of services provided to disadvantaged groups. Chapter five reviews active labor market programs and investigates to what extent these programs are targeted towards disadvantaged groups, which types of programs are prioritized, as well as reviewing the development of funding for active measures and programs.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGONET EMPLOYMENT EFFECTSEMPLOYMENT PROMOTIONJOBSWORK ORGANISATIONEMPLOYMENTPRIVATE TRAINING INSTITUTIONSEMPLOYMENT RATELABOUR CONTRACTSUNEMPLOYMENT RATESUNEMPLOYED ADULTSLABOUR OFFICEEMPLOYMENT OFFICESSKILLED WORKERSRETIREMENTYOUTH EMPLOYMENTMINIMUM WAGEPART-TIME EMPLOYMENTSERVICE SECTOREMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIESEMPLOYMENT EFFECTSACTIVE LABOUR MARKET PROGRAMSTRAINING INSTITUTIONSAGE GROUPPUBLIC EMPLOYMENTYOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RATESUNEMPLOYED POPULATIONJOBUNEMPLOYMENT SPELLSRISING UNEMPLOYMENTPRIVATE EMPLOYMENTSERVANTSLABOUR DEMANDUNEMPLOYED PERSONEMPLOYMENT RATESACTIVE LABOUR MARKET POLICIESPERMANENT JOBEMPLOYMENT PROGRAMSINCOME SUPPORTPRIVATE TRAININGPUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICESEARLY RETIREMENTEMPLOYMENT OUTCOMESTRAINING CENTERSACTIVE LABORJOB LOSSESDRIVERSJOB CREATION SCHEMESJOB SEEKERSWORK EXPERIENCEEMPLOYMENT INCREASESHUMAN RESOURCELABOR MARKETDISADVANTAGED GROUPHUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENTJOB CREATION SCHEMEDIRECT JOB CREATIONLONG- TERM UNEMPLOYMENTLABOUR COSTSEMPLOYMENT POLICIESINFORMAL ECONOMYUNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCEPERFORMANCE INDICATORSEDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTDISPLACEMENTLABOUR BUREAUWORKERUNEMPLOYMENT SPELLPREVIOUS EVALUATIONLABOUR BUREAUSACTIVE LABOR MARKETUNEMPLOYED YOUTHUNEMPLOYEDOLDER WORKERSUNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEMSJOB MARKETUNEMPLOYED PARTICIPANTSHOUSEHOLD INCOMEEMPLOYMENT INCREASEJOB EXPERIENCEVOCATIONAL EDUCATIONPREVIOUS UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITUNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT SYSTEMSJOB TRAININGLABORLABOUR MARKETSJOB SEARCHWAGE INCREASELONG-TERM UNEMPLOYMENTMINIMUM WAGESJOB VACANCYUNEMPLOYMENTEMPLOYMENT OFFICEAVERAGE WAGESTRAINING SYSTEMVOCATIONAL TRAININGPRIVATE SERVICEWORKERSTRAINING COURSESEMPLOYMENT INCENTIVEACTIVE LABOUR MARKETUNEMPLOYMENT RATETRAINING COMPONENTAVERAGE WAGEEMPLOYMENT INCENTIVESLABOUR MARKET FUNCTIONSNET EMPLOYMENTINDUSTRIAL RESTRUCTURINGWAGE SUBSIDIESUNEMPLOYMENT DURATIONJOB VACANCIESOCCUPATIONSACTIVE LABOURLABOUR MARKET POLICYDISADVANTAGED YOUTHLABOUR MARKETOCCUPATIONSAFETY NETYOUTH FIND EMPLOYMENTEMPLOYMENT SERVICESUNEMPLOYED PEOPLEEMPLOYMENT SERVICELABOUR MARKET PROGRAMSUNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT RECIPIENTSDISADVANTAGED GROUPSLABOUR OFFICESJOB CREATIONPRIVATE SECTORPROFILING MODELEARNINGPUBLIC WORKSPART TIME EMPLOYMENTHIGH WAGEOFFICE EMPLOYEESOCCUPATIONAL MOBILITYPRIOR WORK EXPERIENCEREGULAR EMPLOYMENTEMPLOYMENT EFFECTWAGE SECTORUNEMPLOYED PERSONSMANAGEMENTJOB OFFERVOCATIONAL REHABILITATIONUNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITSKILLED LABOURTEMPORARY JOBSPUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICEEMPLOYABILITYLABOUR FORCELABOUR MARKET POLICIESWORKING CONDITIONSACTIVE LABOUR MARKET POLICYHUMAN RESOURCESDISPLACEMENT EFFECTSLOCAL LABOUR MARKETCREATING JOBSCYCLICAL UNEMPLOYMENTJOB PLACEMENTLABOUR MARKET CONDITIONSEMPLOYEEDISCIPLINEWAGE DIFFERENTIALSHIGH UNEMPLOYMENTEMPLOYMENT OUTLOOKWORK ACTIVITYINFORMAL EMPLOYMENTUNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITSNET EMPLOYMENT EFFECTPRIMARY EDUCATIONLABOUR SUPPLYPRIVATE COMPANIESYOUTH UNEMPLOYMENTLABOURTEMPORARY EMPLOYMENTPUBLIC SERVICEUNEMPLOYED RECEIVINGEMPLOYMENT IMPACTSEDUCATIONAL LEVELWAGE SUBSIDYSTRUCTURAL UNEMPLOYMENTEMPLOYMENT POLICYJOBS CRISISUNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT SYSTEMJOB SEEKERSERVICE PROVIDERSEMPLOYEESReportWorld Bank10.1596/21734