Labour Market Integration of Young People in Bulgaria: The Implementation of Youth Guarantee and Youth Employment Initiative

Abstract

The Youth Guarantee and its financial tool the Youth Employment Initiative as EU level initiative, aim to answer the rising concerns caused by the growing problems of youth unemployment by fostering youth activation and labour market integration. Both are associated to specific recommendations for member states to enhance intra-agency coordination and to expand the scope of labour market policies, while both present a good case for research regarding policies’ coordination and government, and in-policy content. The paper analyses the process of introducing and implementing YG and YIE in Bulgaria and outlines changes in the activation policy and strategies for youth labour market integration with focus on both substantial and procedural reforms. For the empirical purpose of the study, desk-research on relevant policy documents, existing national evaluations, country-based literature and statistics, media publications and expert interviews conducted with policy actors from agencies involved in the implementation of labour market programs. The article contributes to the state of art by presenting and analysing details and insights on policy changes as well as existing short-term data on policy outcomes and tries to go further by suggesting policy recommendations to improve existing measures.