Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Trade unions in Bulgaria expect a jump in gray economy due to Covid-19

Photo: Archive

The gray economy in Bulgaria in 2019 accounted for 21% of the country's GDP, data from the National Statistical Institute reveals. It amounts to 11.5 billion euros. This money is outside the social and health care system. In the conditions of a Covid-19 pandemic, this share is expected to grow, said the leader of the CITUB trade union Plamen Dimitrov on the occasion of the Week of Action in the European Campaign for Declared Labour.

Bulgaria's state budget loses 200m euros a year from undeclared work. Dimitrov noted that it also exists in the light economy. Employees have employment contracts and social security payments, but work extra hours that are not paid by the employer. "Whoever works in the gray sector, cuts his or her own rights," the unions warn, BGNES reports.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

New speaker of the Bulgarian Parliament Raya Nazaryan (GERB)

Raya Nazaryan from GERB is the new Speaker of the Bulgarian Parliament

The ruling parties GERB-SDS, BSP-United Left and ITN signed an annex to their coalition agreement, specifying the rules for the rotation of the Speaker of Parliament. The new mechanism provides for each of the three political formations to nominate its..

published on 10/29/25 4:14 PM

41.5% of Bulgarians expect their personal finances to deteriorate in 2026

More and more Bulgarians fear about the future security of their finances . This is shown by a survey by the sociological agency "Measure", conducted between October 5 and 13, 2025 among 801 adult Bulgarian citizens.  Almost 60% of workers in..

published on 10/29/25 3:23 PM

Almost 60% of workers in Bulgaria earn wages below the subsistence minimum

The necessary net monthly income for subsistence for a worker living alone in September 2025 is 1,547 leva (748 euros) . For a three-member family with a child under 14, 2,785 leva (1,346 euros) are needed. This was announced by Violeta Ivanova, deputy..

published on 10/29/25 2:32 PM