"The transformations of the last twenty years in Bulgaria have split the social stratuminto very many fragmented pieces, such as: low-cost labour; a low technologicallevel; low investment and rates of return; lost markets; doomed pensioners; failedbusinesses; inadequate salaries; failed reforms in the public sector; and, perhapsmost importantly, a fresh increase in the poverty level and social disequilibrium,added to the increased purchases of one-way tickets for an ever-increasing shareof young labour migrants. The country is already in its fourth year of full membershipof the EU, but it has many obstacles to overcome. Meanwhile, the economic situation in Bulgaria offers two paradoxes – an education market paradox (expensivestate-funded education services, marketed as ‘social goals'); and a labour marketparadox (the pay rates of salaried workers are equal to or lower than the pay ratesof waged workers). Thus, efficiency on the labour market, which should be a resultof the quality of educated individuals, is both ambiguous and controversial."

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