The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy /MLSP/ is a body of Council of Ministers for development, coordination and implementation of the state policy in the field of labour, professional qualification, incomes and living standard, industrial relations, health and safety at work, social security and social assistance. MLSP implements the state policy through its specialized units, namely the Employment Agency, General Labour Inspectorate, Social Assistance Agency and their regional structures, and the Agency for Foreign Aid. 

In the field of labour market and professional qualification, the ministry:

•         Assesses and prognoses the development of labour resources for insurance, unemployment protection and employment promotion; 

•         Regulates the activity of labour market institutions at national and regional level;

•         Carries out independently and jointly with other institutions the state policy in the field of qualification and prequalification of the work force.

•         Proposes and implements measures for regulation of labour migration and for protection of the national labour market;

•         Proposes drafts and create conditions for implementation of the inter-governmental  agreements relating to labour force;

•         Participates in the supervision over specialized insurance funds for protection against unemployment;

•         Organizes and participates in the work of the National Council for Employment and Professional Qualification;

•         Participates in maintenance of the National Classification of Professions.

The MLSP’s competences in the field of incomes and living standard are the following:

•         MLSP analyses and assesses the level of incomes and their social protection, the living expenses and poverty thresholds;

•         Develops and proposes the policy and mechanisms on issues related to the labour remunerations and other incomes of population;

•         Develops drafts of legislation in the field of state regulation of the remunerations in the real and public sectors;

•         Independently or jointly with other institutions and the social partners develops and proposes programmes and measures for improving the standard of living.

In the field of industrial relations the ministry:

• Participates in the formulation and implementing the state policy for full membership of Republic of Bulgaria in the European Union
• Proposes and carries out measures for introducing the standards of the Council of Europe and the International Labour Organisation  in the national labour and social legislation;
• Participates in the tripartite social dialogue and supports the collective labour bargaining;
• Jointly with the social partners promote the resolving of the collective labour disputes through intermediation and arbitration.

In the field of health and safety at work, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy:

• Administrates, coordinates and participates in the activity for drafting and improving the legislation for health and safety at work;
• Approves the uniform rules for health and safety at work;
• Coordinates the activity of institutions in the field of  health and safety at work;  
• Organizes and participates in the work of the National Council on Working Conditions;
• Performs through the General Labour Inspectorate complete control for compliance with labour legislation;
• Defines the products that have to be assessed for their compliance with safety requirements, defined by legislation and the Bulgarian state standards and issues permissions for carrying out the assessment.

The competencies of MLSP in the field of social security are:

• Participates in the development of the main parameters of the social security and related to it payments;
• Prepares drafts and creates conditions for implementation of the inter-governmental agreements in the field of social security;
• Participates in the regulation of the activity of the institutions in the field of social security;
• Promotes the establishment and participates in the supervision of the activity of public and private funds for the complementary voluntary social insurance.

In the field of the social assistance the ministry:

• Develops programmes for resolving the social problems and reduction of the unfavorable consequences of poverty;
• Regulates the activity of the institutions in the field of social assistance;
• Encourages and supports charity and humanitarian activity;
• Encourages and supervises the  social services granting and the development of the social institutions network by businesses and non-for-profit organizations;
• Organizes and participates in the activity of the National Council for Social Services.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy also carry out the state supervision for compliance of the legislation in the field of employment relationships, health and safety at work, employment and professional qualification, payment of work, social security and social assistance; the implementation of and the compliance with the international agreements in the field of labour market, social policy and social security. The supervision comprises the giving of obligatory prescriptions by the respective supervisory bodies of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy for removal of stated violations of legislation and seeking the administrative-penal responsibility of the offenders.  

One of the main functions of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is to represent the government in the work of the International Labour Organisation an of the other international organizations as well, and to participate in the concluding of agreements and other international acts in the field of labour, social policy and social security.

An important function of the ministry is the coordination and organizing of scientific studies in the field of labour market and social policy.