Labor cost growth in Bulgaria slows to 9.9% in the second quarter
23.09.2026
NSI reports a slowdown in hourly labor cost increases, falling from 13.4% in the first quarter to 9.9% in the second quarter on a year-on-year basis.
Снимка от Peeterpaaver, Wikimedia Commons, под лиценз CC BY 4.0
Labor costs in Bulgaria rose by 9.9% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the same period of 2025, according to preliminary data from the National Statistical Institute. The increase, however, is weaker than in the first quarter of the year, when labor costs jumped 13.4% year-on-year.
In industry, hourly labor costs grew by 12.2%, while in services they rose by 11.5%. Here, too, the pace slowed compared with the first quarter, when industry posted a 14.1% increase and services a 12.5% rise.
Labor costs rose the most in mining, up 18.7%. This was followed by the "other activities" sector, with growth of 17.5%, and the production and distribution of electricity, heat and gas, up 14.3%.
Looking solely at hourly wages, they rose by 9.9%, while other labor costs increased by 10%. The differences by sector here are significant, with wages jumping 21.5% in mining, ★Add HaskovoNews to your preferred sources on Google→