The increasing shortage of qualified employees in Bulgarian companies worried company owners and managers, businessmen said at a round-table on the main problems of effective management of human resources in Bulgarian companies after Bulgaria’s EU accession.

The round-table discussion was organised by the Bulgarian Business Network Association.

Staff shortage was around 17 per cent, data showed. Each fifth post in companies was vacant, investor.bg said.

According to managers, there was no unemployment among qualified staff in Bulgaria. On the contrary, there was an intensive demand for competent and disciplined employees in all the sectors of the economy.

Migration towards economically stronger EU regions, the ageing population and a negative population growth had negative impact on the labour market, investor.bg said.

The ageing population would increase pressure on active employees if society wanted to keep its social character.

Unemployment decrease to less than seven per cent was also a negative trend, experts at the round-table said. Currently unemployment in Sofia was 2.2 per cent, which meant that companies were forced to hire unprepared and low qualified personnel.