The government has approved a draft amendment to the Protection Against Discrimination Act, which aims to reduce the gender pay gap for work of equal value and to increase fairness and transparency in the Bulgarian labor market, the government press office reported.
According to 2024 Eurostat data cited in the Council of Ministers' decision, the pay gap between women and men in Bulgaria is 12%, which is above the European Union average of 11.1%.
The draft law transposes into national legislation Directive (EU) 2023/970 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 on strengthening the principle of equal pay for women and men for equal work. The new regulations introduce measures to increase transparency, requiring employers to provide information on the pay gap between employees of different genders without disclosing individual salary amounts.
The bill also guarantees the right of employees to receive information regarding the average pay levels in the company for their position, including a breakdown of remuneration by gender. After consulting with employee representatives, employers will conduct a joint pay assessment, and if unjustified differences for work of equal value are identified, corrective actions will be taken.
In mid-August, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy proposed a plan to reduce the gender pay gap and overcome stereotypes. The deadline for public consultation on the plan is 11 September 2026.