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Most Bulgarian companies don't have a lot of experience in hiring foreigners, but those who have done it are happy with their employees, shows a study of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, made in the framework of project ERIAS – Plan for the Integration of Refugees. The companies that had  workers from third countries say that they were mostly from Macedonia, Moldova, Russia, Afghanistan. Most employers have a good impression of the work of foreigners and consider them responsible and conscientious, willing to work and learn Bulgarian.

76% of the surveyed companies say they can hire third-country nationals if they have the necessary qualifications, experience and language skills, and 15% of the employers in the country prefer to hire Bulgarians.

Only 14% of the study participants have already hired foreigners from third countries /outside the EU/. The other 86% had no experience in this regard. The survey shows that every fifth representative of the Bulgarian business has information about the necessary documents and procedures for hiring a citizen of another country, who resides in Bulgaria, but almost half of the companies do not have such information, 11% have partial information and 11% have not expressed interest in it so far.

At the same time 69% of the Bulgarian companies, who participated in the survey, claim that they need additional employees on a permanent employment contract, while 14% are looking for seasonal workers. According to the respondents, qualification, experience and knowledge of the Bulgarian language are the most important prerequisites for hiring a foreigner from a third country, and a key moment is his desire to integrate, work and live in Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry proposes to simplify and accelerate the procedure for granting permission for access to the Bulgarian labour market for foreigners, as well as to inform local companies how to hire people from third countries. The Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber has accumulated experience in the field of labour mobility and, as a collective member of BCCI, supports the proposals and works very actively to provide staff for the Bulgarian companies.

How is it in Romania?

Government figures released a month ago show that more than 5.6 million Romanians live abroad, attracted by higher wages in the European Union, and the economic emigration has deprived the country of about 20 percent of the working-age population. Both foreign investors in the country and local companies complain that it is difficult to find people for work. Therefore, the government has adopted measures that allow companies to hire workers from outside the EU.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Labour granted a quota of 20,000 work permits to foreign workers, but subsequently increased it to 30,000 because of the gap left by Romanians who left the country. Topping the list of newcomers are Vietnamese workers (2812) and those from Moldova (1360), followed by people from remote places such as Sri Lanka (1201) and Nepal (1194), Turkey (1181) and India (1040). Asked why Romania imports so many people from the Far East, the founder of Soter & Partners, Romulus Badia, says Asian countries are traditional exporters of labor.

"They have legislation and procedures in place in this area and this makes things much easier compared to countries that may have skilled workers, but lack the legislative infrastructure to export labour, such as those in the former Soviet Union," he added before Balkan Insight. The company represented by Badea assists in hiring construction and hospitality workers, as well as for work in the auto industry. He points out that different types of contracts are offered to foreign workers in Romania, but most come to work for at least two years. The net monthly salaries of Asian workers in Romania  range from $400 to $2000, which is three, four or even five times the salary they receive in their home countries.

Representatives of Soter & Partners shared their experience in labor mobility during an event organized by the Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber in the spring and talked about the tax and social security aspects of the legislation in Romania. As an employer organization that takes care of its members' interests and business development in both countries, we are expanding our cooperation with Soter&Partners in terms of hiring personnel. Meetings with them and the gradual transfer of their experience in the labor mobility of workers from third countries and in Bulgaria are forthcoming in the next months..