Sofia, March 07 (BTA/GNA) – Women in Bulgaria are more affected by inflation than men because they earn lower average incomes, Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) leader Plamen Dimitrov said here Tuesday. He was speaking at an international conference titled Gender equality and working conditions – trends and challenges, organized by CITUB on the occasion of March 8, International Women’s Day.
Unemployment is declining in general and has reached a range that can be described as “acceptable”. Unemployment for Bulgarian women is around 3.7% and for men 4%, Dimitrov also said.
“Inflation has reached a 24-year high and is very close to levels we hoped to have forgotten forever. We remember the hyperinflation of 1997 and the slow reverse process after that. In 1998, inflation was 18.7% and now we are just over 15% for 2022,” said Dimitrov. He argued that in 2023 and in 2024 workers should continue demanding higher incomes.
Unemployment is declining in general and has reached a range that can be described as “acceptable”. Unemployment for Bulgarian women is around 3.7% and for men 4%, Dimitrov also said.
“Inflation has reached a 24-year high and is very close to levels we hoped to have forgotten forever. We remember the hyperinflation of 1997 and the slow reverse process after that. In 1998, inflation was 18.7% and now we are just over 15% for 2022,” said Dimitrov. He argued that in 2023 and in 2024 workers should continue demanding higher incomes.
He said the December 2022 data on average wages showed that the pay gap between men and women was 15.5%. Even in education, which is highly feminized, it is just under 9% and is again in favour of men.
Dimitrov stressed that, unfortunately, the majority of women work in worse-paying sectors and the pay gap continues when they reach retirement.
“The pay gap between men and women in the sector of Creation and Dissemination of Information is 33%. In finance, women earn 38% less than men,” the CITUB leader said.
Reaching retirement, 51% of women pensioners are at risk of poverty and social exclusion, which is up from 37% for men, due to the gap in pensions. Women receive on average 20% lower pensions, which makes BGN 131 for an average pensions for 2021, said Dimitrov.
BTA/GNA