The new business season has begun. After the summer holidays and the "conquest" of various seaside shores and mountain ranges, new challenges now stand before us, waiting to be conquered. Unfortunately, for some businesses, these challenges don’t bring the joy of summer but instead put their stability to the test.

The Most In-Demand Job Positions for 2025

• According to data from the Bulgarian Employment Agency, around 86% of businesses are experiencing staff shortages.
• The most in-demand roles are in the categories of “workers and employees” and “unskilled labor.”

Statistics and Sector Analysis for the First Half of 2025

• Most sought-after positions: Sales Assistant, Driver, Warehouse/Logistics Staff, Sales Specialist, Office Assistant.
• Sectors with the biggest labor shortages: Trade, services, logistics, transport, and manufacturing.
• In the IT sector, demand remains stable but with a significantly lower number of job postings compared to general positions (around 2,278 openings in September).

Seasonal fluctuations:

• Summer: Service staff, seasonal workers, agriculture, and livestock.
• Autumn/Winter: Office employees, sales specialists, technical support, warehouse workers for holiday campaigns.

Job postings by level (September):

• Workers - 24,882
• Experts - 9,889
• Managers - 1,124

 

How to Solve the Staffing Shortage

When searching for and selecting employees, businesses rely on their internal HR teams (recruiters, hiring managers, referrals from current employees, etc.) and / or external recruitment consultants.

1. The Classic Job Posting

This remains an effective approach when the goal is to attract candidates who have internet access, a systematic approach, and the skills to prepare a CV, browse listings, and apply for jobs.

Challenges:

Many potential candidates, however, lack these skills or the preparation needed to apply online. To reach the workers businesses need - and capture their attention - requires going beyond the usual “We’ll just post a job ad online and wait.”

Possible solutions for lower-skilled candidates:

• Most use mobile devices, so minimizing paperwork is essential.
• “One-click apply” via mobile and text communication with the employer.
• Direct phone contact with the employer or agency.
• Immediate scheduling of interviews or on-the-spot hiring — this builds trust and a sense of security among candidates.
• Partnering with a trusted recruitment agency for end-to-end management of hiring campaigns.

How to reach these candidates:

• Social media, targeted by audience group.
• Specialized job alert services for job seekers.
• Offline distribution in candidate regions.
• Partnerships with state institutions and schools.

 2. Hiring Foreign Workers

Personnel Import from third countries is an increasingly popular service. However, the idealized vision of “just hiring workers from abroad” often clashes with reality.

Challenges:

• Longer administrative processes and documentation handling.
• Language barriers.
• Accommodation — especially for large groups of employees.
• Legal quotas — up to 20% of a large company’s staff and 35% of a small or medium-sized company can consist of third-country nationals.

Solutions:

Specialized agencies can manage most of these challenges. It’s important to work with partners who have established relationships and trust with workers in their home countries and understand the local labor market.

 3. Staffing as a Service

This model provides businesses with comprehensive workforce management, predictable budgeting, and resource optimization.

Challenges:

• In the case of Staff Leasing/Temporary Employment, there are legal limits to the number of leased employees.
• Meeting specific needs still requires time for selection and matching.

Possible solution:

Partner with a company that provides not just employees but an end-to-end service — specialized providers who manage both the workforce and the related processes.

 

The Workforce Crisis Requires Creative Solutions

Use digital tools, direct communication with candidates, and diverse staffing services to build strong teams and gain a competitive advantage.

 

 

Learn More

Explore our Mass Recruitment and Specialist/Expert Recruitment solutions.

Read more about our Foreign Workforce Import Services [HERE].

Discover our Staff Leasing service [HERE].