Microeconomics

The euro exchange rate set for the pricing of medicines has been increased by 26.4 percent for 2019, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has said.

A Formula 1 car was sold on auction in Paris for over $ 95,000. The real estate car is made of 313,000 blocks, placed on a metal base.

Designed according to the model of Nicolas Hülkenberg's car, it is equipped with branded tires and steering wheel, which is a replica of his.

The model car was sold at a price that far exceeded the initially announced $ 30-50,000.

The slowdown in the rate of job creation in the last few months of 2018 averted the achievement of an all-time high in new jobs, according to the official data of the Labor Ministry's Ergani hirings database.

In 2018 as a whole, 141,003 new jobs were created, according to the database, down from 143,545 jobs created in 2017, meaning that 2,542 fewer jobs were created last year.

The National Action Plan for Employment in 2019 was adopted by the Council of Ministers. It envisages over 16,500 unemployed people to start work on programs and measures, and more than 11,400 people will be involved in trainings to become more competitive on the labor market.

The government is resorting to all kinds of ways to raise its social profile ahead of the general election, using the increase in the minimum wage as its main instrument. This is because the upcoming interventions in salaries and handouts are expected to affect millions of citizens, and even middle-class households.

Sale of electronic vignettes at petrol stations and large retail outlets in Bulgaria begins as of today, January 7, reports BNT. 

Although the system came into effect on January 1, the start was accompanied by problems with purchase at post offices, at border checkpoints and at petrol stations.

Retail offers and sales for 2019 started before the change of the new year at several outlets across Greece, even though winter sales do not officially kick off until Monday, January 14, and run through Thursday, February 28.

86 % of the customers are satisfied with the services provided by Sofiyska voda. The increase of the quality of the provided services is proved by 15% increase of satisfied customers compared to the previous year.

Turkey's largest firms will focus in 2019 more on data to shape not only their strategic decisions, but also their products and even physical stores, according to top marketing executives who also warn of potential threats and misgivings. 

Luxembourg is set to become the first country in the world to offer free public transport. From summer 2019, tickets will be abolished for buses, trams, and trains in the small EU Member State. The Grand Duchy's public transport system apparently costs €1 billion to operate each year, but fares anyway amount to only €30 million (i.e. just 3% of the total operating costs).