The HR profession has radically changed its meaning, and today it is a whole industry employing over 15,000 people. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Irina Shtonova at the opening of the HR Industry 2023 Forum, which is taking place today in Sofia. She added that without a well-developed human resources sector, attracting investment from high-tech companies and overlapping high value-added industries would not be possible.
Deputy Minister Shtonova presented data on the labour market for 2022. She pointed out that last year a record number of new jobs were created and employment was at its highest level since 2008. In 2022, the occupancy rate reached 72%, which is a historical record for this market, she said. ‘In the first 9 months of the year alone, employment increased by about 147 thousand people,’ the Deputy Minister of Economy further explained.
‘A positive signal in terms of the labour market are the latest figures, which show that in the third quarter of 2022 employers’ pay per hour worked increased by about 16% compared to the same period in 2021,’ Deputy Minister Shtonova said. In her words, there is more and more talk about the importance of added value in the economy, but it should be known that behind it are policies for the development of human resources and raising the qualification of the staff.
HR Industry Forum 2023 is organized by JobTiger for the twelfth consecutive year. More than 450 participants are expected to take part in this year’s edition, and over 30 companies are presenting the latest trends and innovations in this field. The event was also attended by Svetozar Petrov, Manager of JobTiger Ltd, Polina Marinova, Executive Director of the Employment Agency and Boyko Takov, Executive Director of the Executive Agency for Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises.