ABSTRACT:This article is based on two surveys of Bulgarian manufacturing enterprises completed by the International Labour Organization in 1992 The surveys covering both state and private sector firms in this transition economy undergoing severe structural change collected a wealth of data on labour and employment practices at the micro level The authors examine recruitment and vacancy rates in the industrial sector managerial recruitment preferences on the basis of age gender and educational back ground and the recruitment methods used by managements in hiring workers The role of the national employment services in labour allocation is also analyzed revealing different recruitment strategies between state and private sector firms