This study highlights the main results of the research on some possible variants showing the economic activity evolution in the country throughout the next 20 years in the context of total demographic development. To this end, a scenario of economically active population in Bulgaria to 2035 was developed containing three variants (realistic, optimistic and pessimistic). Projected specific rates of economic activity were obtained applying linear regression models selected according to their adequacy to the adopted hypotheses of the economic activity evolution by sex and by five-year age groups in the projection period. The last National Statistical Institute “target scenario to 2070” drawn up using the uniform Eurostat methodology for the Member States’ national statistical institutes was used as a demographic projection. The projection results obtained show that economic activity increasing in the country represents a large and important resource for the development of the potential economically active population in the future. Its effective use would result in a successful neutralisation of the consequences of the unfavourable demographic development of Bulgaria over the reference period and the projection period.

The decrease in the labor force as a result of the on-going demographic processes of decrease in the natural growth rate of the population and the sustainable emigration raises a series of questions about the possibilities to achieve better balancing of the demand and supply for labor through restructuring of employment. The goal of the study is to conduct an immediate situational analysis of the opinions of the main “players” in the investment process in order to examine, analyze and assess the investment environment and the stimuli for creating more jobs in sectors and activities with higher added value. The main thesis is that creating more jobs with higher productivity of labor and higher wages could be a successful policy for better balancing of the demand and supply of labor, for compensation of the shortage of labor force and for improvement of its quality. The better working conditions and the higher wages are prerequisites for improving the quality of life, which is an important condition for stimulating the reproduction of the population and for decreasing emigration intentions. The study presents economic arguments for the need for more active stimulation of the investments in economic activities and sectors that create higher added value on the basis of an analysis of various aspects of the structure of the economy; created added value; employed labor force; share of highly technological exports in total export and others. The analysis indicates that the dynamic of job creation in sectors that generate added value is not sufficient, which also conditions the lagging behind of the country in a series of indicators for science intensity and innovation in the European space. These conclusions are supplemented by the results from in-depth interviews, conducted with representatives of branch organizations, employers, local authorities and national institutions, which focused on the conditions and stimuli for investment in sectors and activities with high added value. The summary of the voiced opinions and assessments allows for the synthesis of key aspects of policies that encourage the improvement of the environment and stimulate the creation of workplaces in sectors and activities that create higher added value.

The young people of working age with basic or lower education in Bulgaria are characterized by relatively low levels of participation in education and training as a key tool for improving employability. In the context of low economic activity of the persons in this group, the issue of identifying barriers to their participation in education and training becomes the basis for formulating proposals for improvement of policies and measures in this field in the future. The main objective of this article is to systematize and present results of focus-group discussions to study obstacles to participation in education and training of young people of working age with basic and lower education. The focus groups included 164 representatives of stakeholders (municipal and regional administrations, Regional Education Office, employers’ and trade union organizations, Labor Office Directorate, etc.) in 10 districts of Bulgaria. The results show that participation in education and training of young people of working age with basic and lower education is hampered by a variety of obstacles that are specific to this youth group: low motivation, deficits in cognitive skills, undeclared employment and etc. The focus group discussions also reveal an additional emphasis on the social role of individuals in this youth group as parents and as a component of a family environment that has the potential to “guarantee” a future influx of new additions to low-educated population groups. These specificities should be taken into account both in future research in this field and in formulating effective policies and measures to encourage participation in education and training of young people of working age with basic and lower education.

The paper presents the essence, methodology and participants in focus groups conducted with representatives of different institutions responsible for implemention of employment policies for young people in working age. The focus groups were conducted within the framework of the project accomplished by Institute for Population and Human studies-BAS and aimed at examining some good practices and proposals for education and development of the young people in the country. Briefly, the essence of focus groups is presented as a preferred method of conducting qualitative research in the social sciences in recent years, as well as the main trends in the education of the Bulgarian young people in the age groups 15-24 and 25-34. More precisely, the increase of the persons with primary or lower education in the first group and the persons with higher education in the second age group. The main institutions responsible for implemention of employment policies for young people in working age was mentioned. The focus groups with 164 participants conducted in ten areas of the country have been described (e.g.representatives of Municipality and State administrations, employers’ and trade union organizations, public and private educational institutions, etc.). In addition, some strengths and weaknesses in the use of focus groups as a method for collecting quality data in social research was discussed, as well as some practical implementation of the current work.

The article discusses the quality of jobs and employment in Bulgaria through the prism of labor remuneration, the polarization of employment and the high values of material deprivation among employees. Results of sociological research and comparative data with other EU Member States are presented. These results outline the very unfavorable situation in Bulgaria as a consequence of specific policies of distribution and redistribution. In comparison, the design of these policies in Ireland on the one hand and in the Czech Republic and Slovakia on the other is discussed. The choice of these countries is justified by the fact that, through active distribution and redistribution policies, they are able to create a much better socio-economic context. The low bargaining power of the employed is considered the main reason for the very unfavorable picture in Bulgaria. It is argued that a purposeful and massive reconstruction of public policies and regulatory frameworks is needed in order to achieve a development based on quality employment and directed towards internal cohesion of the highly disintegrated Bulgarian society. Such measures are also crucial for improving the demographic situation in the country.

The risk for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus is examined using the FINDRISK questionnaire in parallel with the study of serum lipids and fasting blood glucose within the framework of Project EPSILON - European Partnerships for Prevention and Social Innovations for Doctors through Trainings and Science, financed under the Operational Program “Development of human resources”, 150 workers from two age groups of four economic sectors (construction, clothing, hairdressing and cosmetics, and healthcare) were surveyed. 4.3% of the young workers and 20% of older have a high and very high risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years. There was not a significant difference in the risk of developing diabetes in the different economic sectors in both age groups (Kruskal Wallis Test to 25 years - p = 0.453 and over 55 years - p = 0,369). There is a significant association between the risk for diabetes and HDL (p = 0.018), LDL (r = 0.313, p = 0.047), systolic (r = 0.449, p = 0.003) and diastolic (r = 0.408, p = 0.007) blood pressure in young workers. In the age group over 55 years, there is a link between the risk of diabetes and HDL (r = - 0.255, p = 0.009), triglycerides (r = 0.397, p = 0.000), glucose (r = 0.418, p = 0.000) and length of service (r = 0.239, p = 0.015). The results require further research on the possibilities for predicting the onset of diabetes type 2 in older workers with different occupations.

The project EPSILON - European Partnerships for Prevention and Social Innovations for Physicians through Trainings and Science, funded under the Operational Program “Human Resources Development”, allowed studying 150 employees from two age groups in four sectors of the economy (construction, clothing, hairdressing and cosmetics, and healthcare). The aim of the study is to seek links between working conditions and health status of workers at the beginning and at the end of their careers. The incidence of diabetes increases with age, in some cases work environment may adversely affect and increase the risk. Fasting blood glucose abnormalities were analyzed. 75% of the participants were without deviations, 10% experienced impaired fasting blood glucose, and 12.7 % had fasting blood glucose values for diabetes mellitus exceeding 7.0 mmol / l, requiring re-testing (2.3% in the young and 16.8% at the age over 55 years). The results suggest that a number of unfavorable factors related to living conditions have had their impact on workers over the years, and some of them may be of a professional nature.

The regional peculiarities in the demographic and socio-economic development of Bulgaria are the basis of unequal processes and tendencies in the formation of the local contingents of the labor resources and the labor force. Based on data from the population and housing census in 2011, an attempt was made to reveal the territorial differences in the demographic and social and labor-economic characteristics of the population in working, under-occupational and retirement age. The aim of the study is to reveal the regions with the most serious problems in reproduction, education, vocational training and ultimately the efficient use of their labor resources. Four clusters have been identified using multidimensional statistical analysis methods, covering areas with similar characteristics of labor resources and workforce. Based on this typology an analysis of the problems of efficient use of available labor resources has been made and some recommendation has been proposed in order to conduct more effective training and retraining measures in the regions and areas with the most serious problems in the functioning of local labor markets.