At the end of April, the registered unemployed in the country were 148,895, and the registered unemployment rate was 5.25%, which is a decrease of 0.43% compared to the same period in 2024. The declared vacancies on the primary market in April reached 10,869, with the largest share of them being in the areas of "Manufacturing industry" - 27.1%, "Hotel and restaurant industry" - 13.3%, "Trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles" - 12.6%, "Public administration" - 12.3%, "Administrative and support activities" - 4.9% and "Education" - 4.6%. Among the most sought-after professions during the month were: personnel employed in the field of personal services; personnel providing care for people; workers in the extractive and processing industries, construction and transport; machine operators of stationary machines and equipment; salespeople, etc.

During the period January - February 2025, exports of goods from Bulgaria to the EU decreased by 0.4% compared to the same period in 2024 and amounted to 8,306.6 million leva. Bulgaria's main trading partners are Germany, Romania, Italy, Greece and France, which account for 62.5% of exports to the EU Member States. In exports distributed according to the Standard Foreign Trade Classification, the largest growth was recorded in the "Non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages and tobacco" sector (34.0%). The largest decline was observed in the "Articles classified mainly by type of material" sector (18.1%). In February 2025, exports of goods from Bulgaria to the EU decreased by 2.7% compared to February 2024 and amounted to 4,132.1 million leva. Imports of goods into Bulgaria from the EU during the period January - February 2025 decreased by 2.4% compared to the same period of 2024 and amounted to 8,936.5 million leva (at CIF prices). The largest value volume of goods imported from Germany, Romania, Greece, Italy and Poland. In imports distributed according to the Standard Foreign Trade Classification, the largest increase was recorded in the "Fats, oils and waxes of animal and vegetable origin" sector (27.0%). The largest decrease was observed in the "Mineral fuels, oils and similar products" sector (16.9%). In February 2025, Bulgaria's imports of goods from the EU decreased by 2.2% and amounted to 4,520.1 million leva. The foreign trade balance (FOB exports - CIF imports) of Bulgaria with the EU during the period January - February 2025 was negative and amounted to 629.9 million leva.

Bulgaria already has the first energy storage systems using so-called "second life" batteries. These are systems built from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries from electric cars - batteries that no longer meet the standards for use in vehicles, but can still be used in various secondary applications before being recycled, reports the company "Solarpro", which is responsible for the project. The first such systems in our country were developed by "E-Waste Silistra" JSC - a subsidiary of "Solarpro" and a member of the European Battery Recycling Association (EBRA Recycling). The two pilot systems use battery modules from Volkswagen Group electric cars, with each system having a capacity of 4.2 kilowatt hours (kWh) and equipped with a full hybrid inverter. This means that the inverter intelligently manages the flow of energy - it can charge the batteries both from solar panels and from the electrical grid or generator, automatically distributing energy to consumption according to the needs of the household or facility. The company plans to launch about 20 such systems on the market per month. Currently, E-Waste Silistra has contracts with 18 importers of electric vehicles in Bulgaria, including: Silver Star Motors, Euratec Auto, Mirkat, Porsche BG, Vitosha Sports Cars, Vitosha Auto, Balkan Star Motors and others. The brands with which E-Waste works include Mercedes, Skoda, Suzuki, VW, Audi, Porsche, Infinity, Jeep, Alfa Romeo, Hyundai, Mitsubishi and Nissan. The developer will donate the two pilot systems to the Vocational High School of Computer Modeling and Computer Systems (PGKMKS) "Acad. Blagovest Sendov", Varna, and to the Technical University - Varna, where they can be used both for educational purposes and for real-world application.

Artex Engineering JSC is preparing the construction of a huge residential complex with the company Artex Sofia 2024 Ltd. The company was registered in November 2024. For this purpose, they bought a huge plot of land between Alexander Malinov and Andrei Lyapchev boulevards. Now there is a Billa hypermarket there with a large parking lot, as well as a restaurant from the Happy restaurant chain. In the past, this was Patilantsi Park, where the children of the neighborhood spent their free time with their parents. The first step of the new investment has already been made. Artex Engineering JSC has acquired the company Billa Mladost, which was separated from the capital of Billa Real Estate Ltd and managed the plot. After that, the company was renamed Artex Sofia 2024. The manager is Vessela Miryanova, and the owner is their family company, in which 99% of the shares are again hers. "Artex" does not yet have a construction permit for the huge complex in the redeveloped area, but they have already initiated the procedure for changing the currently valid Detailed Development Plan (DDP). The next step is to organize a public discussion of the project, and then the construction permit will be issued. The new investment will be 23 acres. That's how much they bought from "Billa Real Estate" in November last year. These are two properties - the retail area of ​​the store, the restaurant and the parking lots attached to them.

The capital increase of the investment company WIN (Webit Investment Network) has been successfully completed, attracting 12,154,652 leva and setting an absolute record on the BEAM market of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange. Over 250 current and new shareholders, as well as institutional investors in the form of mutual funds, participated in the offering, and the capital raised is more than 2 times larger in size than the largest BEAM market offerings carried out to date. The newly raised capital of over 12 million leva will be invested strategically in both current portfolio companies and new technology champions with global potential. WIN invests in companies that invest in sustainable agriculture and food technologies, healthcare and AI diagnostics, education and digital literacy, entertainment, digital culture and emotional connectivity, environmental protection and technologies for a sustainable future. infostock.bg

Two properties owned by the Plovdiv company "Mutafchiev 57" Ltd will be announced for public sale by the private bailiff. They are encumbered with contractual mortgages in favor of Targovska Banka D JSC, as well as foreclosed by BACB. Both properties are located in the village of Kalekovets, Maritsa Municipality. There is also a lien on the debtor's commercial enterprise. The sole owner of the company is Siika Mutafchueva. As of February 2025, the company "Mutafchiev 57" Ltd has outstanding liabilities worth almost 260,000 leva. The first property covers an area of ​​1,683 sq m, and a one-story agricultural building with an area of ​​279 sq m has been built on it. The property is located at 1 "Rodopi" Street, in district 76 according to the regulatory plan, and is built with a massive building of 280 sq m. Its starting price is 233,424 leva including VAT. The second property is a canning workshop with an area of ​​over 2 acres. Its starting price is 1,164,720 leva (595,500 euros), which is the value at which the bidding will begin. The property is located on 1-A Rodopi Street in the village of Kalekovets and is a regulated land plot with an area of ​​2,010 sq m, intended for the food industry. The most significant building on the plot is a fruit and vegetable canning workshop, which has a built-up area of ​​554.49 sq m. In addition to the workshop, the property includes a boiler room with an area of ​​24.5 sq m and a warehouse for empty packaging of 131.23 sq m, as well as a solid fence forming the entire industrial zone. trafficnews.bg

The Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC) has initiated open proceedings against the Ministry of Defense on a complaint by the company "Natalia" JSC against a decision to supply tangible property under separate items. The complaint was filed under the Public Procurement Act (PPA) in its part on the deadlines for submitting offers for participation in procedures. The CPC has initiated open proceedings against the Executive Agency "Research and Maintenance of the Danube River" on a complaint by "Solitech" JSC against the decision to improve and modernize automatic stations and electronic information boards in 17 locations. The CPC has initiated open proceedings against the Road Infrastructure Agency on a complaint by "Bulstrad Vienna Insurance Group" against the decision to select an insurer for the inclusion of "Civil Liability", "Accident" and "Casco" insurance for road vehicles owned by the Agency.

Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is emerging as an increasingly strong innovation hub in Europe, with over 26,000 startups in the region, with a total valuation of €213 billion by the end of 2023, according to the report THE STATE OF STARTUPS AND VENTURE CAPITAL ECOSYSTEM IN CEE, jointly produced by Bulgarian venture capital firm Eleven Ventures and JEME Bocconi, a student advisory organization at Bocconi University in Italy. The overall valuation of startups has increased 2.4 times since 2019, and despite the global decline in venture capital investment, the region has shown significant resilience, with deal volume falling by just 15% (compared to 35% in Western Europe). A large proportion, 92% of all VC deals in the region are at the pre-seed and seed stage, indicating confidence in the potential of startups. In 2023 Nearly 34% of investment capital in CEE comes from government sources. This funding remains critical, especially at an early stage, but there is a gradual shift towards more private capital. The largest segment after startups in CEE is Enterprise software with a total value of €80 billion, followed by fintech (€30 billion), transport and e-commerce (€19 billion each). The study shows that artificial intelligence is already attracting 45% of all investments in the first quarter of 2024. Climate technologies are also seeing a 26% growth in investments in early 2024. The influence and positive impact of successful startups valued at over $1 billion, called “unicorns”, is increasingly growing. There are now 52 unicorns in the region, which represents around 8% of the total in Europe and 2% globally. Their number has almost doubled between 2020 (when they were 25) and 2022 (47), with the wave of AI startups playing a major role. Unicorns form around 60% of the value of the startup ecosystem in the region and are significant employers. The report also shows the significant influence of former employees of successful companies who create new startups or invest as business angels. Examples include Bolt (Estonia), UiPath (Romania) and Telerik (Bulgaria). According to the study, after the acquisition of the latter in 2014, over 50 new companies emerged, including Payhawk, the first Bulgarian unicorn. In Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), startups are concentrated in large cities that provide the necessary infrastructure for innovation and rapid scaling. The key startup hubs in CEE (by VC investment volume in 2023) are: Tallinn: €364 million, Vilnius: €193 million. EUR, Warsaw: EUR 191 million, Sofia: EUR 170 million, Prague: EUR 170 million, Cluj-Napoca: EUR 107 million, Kiev: EUR 101 million, Bucharest: EUR 100 million, Budapest: EUR 72 million and Riga: EUR 70 million. Support from governments, incubators and accelerators further boosts development. For example, Warsaw and Bucharest feature influential incubators, while Budapest and Prague benefit from strong university connections.

Inflation, which reflects the dynamics of consumer prices in the United States, unexpectedly slowed in April to 2.3 percent on an annual basis after it was 2.4 percent in March. This is shown by the published data of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor in Washington. Inflation cooled for the third consecutive month in April. The consumer price index rose by 0.2 percent on a monthly basis in April (compared to March 2025). Its pace slowed in March from February by 0.1 percent, which was the first decline in five years. Food prices fell by 0.4 percent, partly due to a large drop in the price of eggs - 12.7 percent. This was the largest drop in household food spending since September 2020. The data indicate that import tariffs announced by the United States have not yet affected the prices of many items. Clothing prices fell 0.2 percent month-on-month in April, while new car prices remained unchanged. Furniture prices, however, rose 1.5 percent over the same period.

Singapore has begun construction on a fifth terminal at Changi Airport. The expansion of the world's fourth-largest airport by international passengers comes as air traffic in Asia grows, Reuters reported. The new terminal is scheduled to open in the middle of the next decade. It will initially be able to handle 50 million passengers a year. It is planned to become a base for the island Asian country's national carrier, Singapore Airlines (SIA). Changi Airport Group, which operates Singapore's airport, announced on May 5 that it had awarded contracts for construction work and maintenance of the airport's infrastructure. They are worth 4.75 billion Singapore dollars (3.6 billion US dollars). By 2023, Changi Airport will open a third runway for aircraft operating civilian flights. It is currently used for military purposes. Changi Airport currently has a capacity of 90 million passengers per year, with 67.7 million passengers passing through last year. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts that the number of air travelers in the Asia-Pacific region will double by 2043. It is expected to grow by 5.1 percent per year, faster than the increase in air travelers in Europe and North America, IATA said. utroruse.com