The economic forecast of the labor market for the second half of 2025 reveals extremely cautious attitudes among Bulgarian employers regarding wages. According to a large-scale national survey by Manpower Bulgaria, only 26% of companies declare intentions to increase their employees' salaries.
The majority of companies – nearly 74% – demonstrate a highly conservative approach and do not plan financial improvements for their staff. In the expected increases, they are mainly in the range between 6% and 10% of current wages.
Additional social benefits are also highly limited. Only 6% of companies are considering expanding internal company programs by introducing health insurance, vouchers, or extraordinary bonuses.
The analysis of turnover shows interesting trends. In voluntary departures, the leading factors are seeking higher salaries from competitive employers (30%), lack of professional development (10%), and unwillingness to change work schedules.