Almost 500 million euro has entered the country until the end of July through the money that Bulgarian emigrants abroad send home. Meanwhile, a month later by the end of August, FDI to Bulgaria was estimated at 773 million euro. It turns out that the sums by which emigrants support their loved ones are almost as much as the amount foreign entrepreneurs allocate for investment in these difficult economic conditions worldwide.

Several people are waiting in line in front of one of the many exchange offices in the capital Sofia. Some buy the currency needed for their short trip abroad; others want to exchange different currencies into Bulgarian leva. A woman in retirement age exchanges euro and against it gets a good amount compared with the small state pension she receives. This is the aid her daughter or grandson working in a European country send monthly to the elderly Sofian to supplement her low monthly income Such cases are no longer a rarity. Many Bulgarians left the country for economic reasons after the transition to a market economy in 1990 (according to unofficial estimates they are currently more than two million), contributing financially to their families in Bulgaria. Amounts are traditionally higher during the summer months. Remittances flow into Bulgarian banks also in the form of savings accounts - for the future education of children, to purchase a home or because of better interest rates, which vaults in Bulgaria still offer for deposits.

It is difficult to estimate the exact amount of the financial flows coming from Bulgarians who have left Bulgaria temporarily or have found their luck and settled permanently in countries with a higher standard of living. The reason is that these sums do not always pass through the banks. It is hard to calculate for example how much money your loved ones leave when they return home two, three or more times a year. Or what money they send to Bulgaria via others. Anyway, remittances support the economy through greater opportunities that individuals have with a higher income. Given the serious unemployment in recent years related to the global economic turbulences and not only, many Bulgarian families are at the brink of starvation due to low income, so these additional funds from abroad are a real breath of fresh air. No wonder that young Bulgarians in whose ranks unemployment reaches 29% look for job opportunities in other countries and take the difficult road of economic emigration in search of a vision for a better standard of living. The largest groups of Bulgarians have in the U.S., Spain, in neighboring Greece, Germany.

Labor exchanges where foreign employers seek prospective employees gather crowds of eager youngsters and not only. Some people hope to find seasonal work in agriculture or tourism, thus helping their families to spend the hard winter months and so until next spring which will bring new opportunities. Other highly educated people with at least two diplomas in their pockets are adamant that their future lies outside Bulgaria and they stand in front of representatives of employers with the firm intention of being hired because they possess the necessary skills and qualify for the workplace. And rightly so.
However, there are interesting examples. A young man who graduated abroad with diplomas and specializations, returned to his family in Bulgaria and started looking for a job corresponding to his qualifications. He sentnumerous CVs to various companies and expected an answer. After some time, he received an offer to start literally “picking up” the phone for a salary of 500 leva, followed by several similar proposals. The young man refused because no one offered him anything that matched his capabilities and specialization. And when he read on the internet that an international company was recruiting people for a business in South America, he did not hesitate a moment. After two years of work, due to the rapid progress and qualities with which he outstripped the rest, he got a job at the company's headquarters in Europe. Today this Bulgarian man imports each year in a Bulgarian bank an amount that allows his parents never to experience financial difficulties. 

English version: Rossitsa Petcova