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Global Survey Finds Bulgaria Significantly
Reducing Its Firing Rates
A major new survey of hiring and firing trends in over 100 countries has found
that Bulgaria has significantly reduced the number of managerial/professional
staff being fired, despite the economic downturn.
According to the Global Snapshot report from international recruitment
specialist, Antal, which surveyed employers in 107 countries around the world
levels of recruitment in Bulgaria have changed dramatically since their previous
quarter with hiring rates dropping from 89% to a low 28%. However, despite this
large cut in the hiring of managerial and professional staff, the rate of current and
future firing has dropped from a very high 49% to just 4% whilst none of the
businesses questioned expressed an expectation that they would further reduce
staffing levels in the coming quarter.
“Bulgaria’s job market has by no means gone untouched by the global changes
taking place.” says Julieta Sofranova who runs Antal’s operations in Bulgaria.
“Organizations here are looking to hire less people in a managerial/professional
level and make some necessary cut backs, but at the same time they are cutting
back on the number of people they are letting go.”
Elsewhere in Eastern Europe the employment situation varies dramatically. 50%
of businesses in Hungary, for example, expect to hire in the coming quarter,
down from 59% in the autumn, whilst in Romania, however, hiring levels have
actually increased from 37% to 54%. This confidence is mirrored in Croatia
where recruitment levels are up from 41% to 58%.
“When we undertook our last survey of hiring and firing around the globe in the
autumn of 2008, most countries appeared confident about the future. Now that
confidence has faltered, but it seems, hasn’t evaporated completely,” says
Antal’s global CEO, Tony Goodwin. “There is no denying that the slowdown in
economies across the world has had a knock-on effect on jobs and career
development prospects for professionals and managers at all levels. However
this does not mean that recruitment has come to a complete stop by any means.
Rather than being a classic downturn, this one seems to be developing a very
specific nature, which hits certain countries and sectors extremely hard whilst
Antal International Network, Bulgaria
+ 359 2 952 3660; + 359 2 983 1160
Bulgaria@antal.com

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leaving others – parts of Eastern Europe and industries such as pharmaceuticals,
bio-tech and renewables, for example - relatively or even completely unscathed.”
The demand for managers and professionals who have proved success in critical
moments will complicate the work of HR departments. The outsourcing of similar
projects to professionals from experienced and successful recruitment
companies will increase dramatically. Thus the companies will focus on the inner
motivation of the staff and the challenges of the crisis.
Antal International Network, Bulgaria
+ 359 2 952 3660; + 359 2 983 1160
Bulgaria@antal.com