Cooks, construction workers, carpenters and tailors are among the most sought after staff by businesses, a National Employment Agency survey indicates.

Employers need over 327,000 workers and experts over the next 12 months. More than half of the job vacancies are for specialists and qualified staff. Businesses are also looking to hire more than 70,000 people with university degrees. The five most sought after professions are teachers, mechanical engineers, doctors, nurses and drivers. 78 percent of employers say they are finding it difficult to find staff. Only 3 percent of managers say they plan to lay off employees. Finding staff is most difficult in Sofia city, Varna, Plovdiv, Rousse and Pleven.