A Y50+ Talents: the New Age of Success forum here on Monday explored the employment potential and opportunities of people aged 50 and over, challenging the traditional notion that a person’s professional peak is behind him at 50. Representatives from institutions, the business community, and experts agreed that combining experience with new knowledge can give people over 50 an advantage on the labour marker. They discussed demographic changes and the labour market, new forms of employment for professionals aged 50 and older, support for learning and retraining, financial security, and the role of artificial intelligence.
Among the participants were Minister of Labour and Social Policy Nataliya Efremova, Deputy Labour Minister Liliya Stoyanovich, and Andriana Sukova, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.
Minister Efremova said that 50 is no longer a limit, but an age of experience, maturity and knowledge gained from real life. By the end of 2025, there will be over 1.5 million people aged over 65 in Bulgaria. This means that one in four people is of retirement age, Efremova said. She added that the working-age population in Bulgaria is declining. “This is why we must pay particular attention to how we can attract and retain everyone up to this age in the labour market,” the Minister noted.
Efremova highlighted that people aged 50 and over can be good mentors and pass on their experience to their younger colleagues. In her view, this combination of skills can be the key to a company’s success. She also said that people aged 50 and over can embark on a new type of activity. Regarding the emergence of artificial intelligence and digital innovations in the labour market, the Minister pointed out that there are national programmes offering free training and subsidised employment. Efremova urged people not to stop developing their skills.
Deputy Labour Minister Stoyanovich said that unemployment among people aged over 50 stands at nearly 2.8%, below the national average, with this age group playing an active role in the labour market. They are in demand among employers and play a key role in improving the economic climate, she added.
“The data show that, as early as 2021, 90% of jobs required digital skills, with 70% requiring an intermediate or advanced level of proficiency,” Stoyanovich said, adding that building on basic digital skills was of paramount importance. She noted that, with funding from the national budget and EU financing under the Human Resources Development Programme, anyone wishing to improve their qualifications, whether employed or unemployed, could do so entirely free of charge.
She added that, in view of Bulgaria’s adverse demographic trends, the second main focus of the programmes is to encourage Bulgarian nationals who had spent years working or studying abroad to return to the country. The next step will focus on internal migration, encouraging people living in large cities to relocate and take up jobs in settlements with populations of fewer than 50,000. Specific incentives are planned, including relocation assistance and partial reimbursement of housing rental costs.
Andriana Sukova said that by 2050, the European labour market would face major challenges stemming from a shrinking workforce, which is expected to decline by around one million people each year. She noted that a significant proportion of people aged 55 to 64 are already outside the labour market, often against their wishes. One of the main reasons, she said, is the lack of adequate support services and care facilities for older people. She also highlighted the problem of age discrimination.
During the 2021-2027 programming period, around 2.3 million people have received support for continuing education, she noted. Sukova identified mentoring schemes pairing older employees with younger colleagues as among the most effective approaches. For these measures to be as effective as possible, she said, challenges must be examined from different perspectives, with representatives of all groups affected by the decisions involved in the process.
Zornitsa Roussinova, Chair of the Economic and Social Council, said that after turning 50, a person still has about 15 years left to work, and balancing personal and professional life is difficult. She recalled the changes to the second pension pillar.
Institute for Market Economics Executive Director Svetla Kostadinova said that everyone works in an environment that is not improving, which is why, at the policy level, there should be an improvement of the way of working.
During the forum, videos were screened about successful centenarians. They were produced by television journalist, host, producer, and documentary filmmaker Mira Dobreva. Andrea Brouillette-Rodriguez, a former US diplomat, shared her story about balancing professional and family responsibilities.
Forum Highlights Employment Potential of People Aged over 50 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-12 13:44:00
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