Linking Active Social Policies to Education and Qualification Problems on the Labor Market

The labor market policy in the Republic of Bulgaria in the transition period and nowadays has in different extents reflected the needs of the economy. Initially developing along with the labor market, its character is mainly preventive. Later, it includes more active programs and activities targeted at adequate answers to the changes of macroeconomic environment and periods of economic development. The anti-crisis policy in the country from 2008 till now is mostly directed to the financial stability and consolidation and strongly limits the support to employment. However, as a whole the active policy has a secondary and temporary role in employment support and could not exchange the investment activities for creation of places of work. From the transition's beginning in the country labor demand stays under the level of its supply. The decrease in demand is bigger than the rest of the countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the demand continues to be lower in comparison to the starting period]. Services' sector which is now generating comparatively higher employment do not offer places of work corresponding to the qualitative characteristics of unemployed persons registered in labor offices. On the other hand, a generator of work places is the private sector, and particularly small and medium-size enterprises, which also experience a number of financial and other problems. Thus, in the availability of low demand and far exceeding supply, the unemployed persons from the risky groups are not enough competitive. The lack of education and professional qualification are among the main factors for the high level of unemployment in the investigated risky groups