Innovation Critical to Sustaining Jobs and Growth in Central and Eastern Europe This page in:English Română Polski Hrvatski © 2026 World Bank Group,

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2026/03/12/innovation-critical-to-sustaining-jobs-and-growth-in-central-and-eastern-europe BRUSSELS, March 12, 2026—Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, and Romania could raise labor productivity by up to 10 to 15 percent through wider adoption of digital technologies, particularly software and AI-enabled tools, according to the World Bank Group’s latest EU Regular Economic Report released today. With the EU economy expanding at roughly one percent annually, gains of that scale could boost growth, raise wages, and help make jobs more resilient. © 2026 World Bank Group,