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

Zhecho Stankov (L) and Alparslan Bayraktar

Changes to gas contract between Bulgaria and Türkiye’s BOTAŞ in the offing

Ways to improve the positions of the sides to the contract between Bulgaria’s Bulgargaz, Bulgartransgaz and Türkiye’s BOTAŞ will be discussed until 2 May. Agreement on this was reached in Baku, Azerbaijan, by Bulgaria’s Minister of Energy Zhecho..

published on 4/5/25 1:39 PM
Hundreds came out to protest in memory of Siyana in Pleven last night

Protests against war on the roads after death of a child in serious traffic accident

A wave of outrage is sweeping over Bulgaria after a severe accident on the Telish-Radomirtsi road (Pleven region), in which 12-year old Siyana lost her life as she was returning from a holiday with her grandparents. A protest is scheduled for today..

published on 4/5/25 11:50 AM
Andrii Sybiha  (L) and Gerorg Georgiev

Andrii Sybiha and Georg Georgiev discuss security in the Black Sea region

Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Georg Georgiev took part in the NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on 4 April, 2025. Within the frameworks of the forum, Minister Georgiev met with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha; the two..

published on 4/5/25 9:31 AM