Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) was 20.79 in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
20.79
Change on year
down 29.3%
World rank
48th
of 89 countries
All-time high
397.97
in 2003
All-time low
20.79
in 2024
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Bulgaria, 2001–2024

01002003004002001201220242001: 337.12002: 379.12003: 3982004: 353.32005: 339.32006: 263.22007: 201.92008: 154.52009: 181.12010: 222.62011: 2472012: 239.92013: 2112014: 201.92015: 172.52016: 1782017: 116.22018: 86.32019: 64.62020: 55.32021: 48.92022: 34.92023: 29.42024: 20.8

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2024, discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Bulgaria stood at 20.79. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.

That represents a change of down 29.3% on the previous year and down 89.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Bulgaria peaked at 397.97 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 20.79, in 2024.

Bulgaria ranks 48th of 89 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+) in Bulgaria, 2001 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2001 337.12
2002 379.06 +12.4%
2003 397.97 +5.0%
2004 353.27 -11.2%
2005 339.29 -4.0%
2006 263.16 -22.4%
2007 201.91 -23.3%
2008 154.52 -23.5%
2009 181.08 +17.2%
2010 222.59 +22.9%
2011 247.02 +11.0%
2012 239.88 -2.9%
2013 210.97 -12.1%
2014 201.86 -4.3%
2015 172.5 -14.5%
2016 178.03 +3.2%
2017 116.21 -34.7%
2018 86.26 -25.8%
2019 64.56 -25.2%
2020 55.31 -14.3%
2021 48.94 -11.5%
2022 34.88 -28.7%
2023 29.41 -15.7%
2024 20.79 -29.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 289.71 154.52 397.97 9
2010s 173.99 64.56 247.02 10
2020s 37.86 20.79 55.31 5

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 45 Bosnia and Herzegovina 29.06 compare
  2. 46 Portugal 28.01 compare
  3. 47 Austria 27.57 compare
  4. 49 United Kingdom 20.36 compare
  5. 50 North Macedonia 18.67 compare
  6. 51 El Salvador 18.29 compare

See the full ranking of 89 places →

More work & labour data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Bulgaria?
Discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Bulgaria was 20.79 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 397.97 in 2003.
What is the lowest discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 20.79 in 2024.
How does Bulgaria rank for discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
Bulgaria ranks 48th out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
Is discouraged jobseekers (previous ilo definition - icls13) rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is down 89.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/discouraged-jobseekers-previous-ilo-definition-icls13-15/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator
Discouraged jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
89 places, 1,551 data points, 1987–2025
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. Discouraged job-seekers refer to those persons of working age who during a specified reference period were without work and available for work, but did not look for work in the recent past for specific reasons (for example, believing that there were no jobs available, believing there were none for which they would qualify, or having given up hope of finding employment). Data disaggregated by level of education are provided on the highest level of education completed, classified according to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCED. For more information, refer to the Education and Mismatch Indicators (EMI) database description.