Working in Romania
A roundup of news on the Romanian labor market
Sorin Iordan, 13.11.2025, 14:00
Platform work
The draft law on platform work, which transposes the European Directive on this matter, could be approved by the end of December, said the president of the National Trade Union Bloc (BNS), Dumitru Costin. According to him, the legislation seeks to eliminate the current legal vacuum and establish clear rules regarding employee rights and the relationship with intermediaries. Each member state must transpose the Directive by the end of next year, 2026.
Recently, BNS announced the creation of an initiative group to launch the Union of Digital Platform Workers, a structure dedicated to those who work through apps such as Uber, Bolt, Glovo, Wolt and others, where foreign workers can also enroll. The new union will operate with branches in all counties of Romania, and membership applications can be completed online.
Among the objectives of the union for digital platform workers are ensuring access to social protection systems, initiating collective bargaining at the platform level, and representing workers as a recognized social partner in dialogue with the government. In Romania, Uber and Bolt together have more than 105,000 active drivers, a number comparable to the total employees of the country’s seven largest employers, according to data from the National Trade Union Bloc.
Unemployment benefits
The Romanian Ministry of Labor has launched a public debate on a draft law to amend the Unemployment Insurance System Law, which provides, among other things, bonuses to young people starting their first job, subsidies for mothers with three children and for victims of human trafficking.
The bonus granted to young people would be paid for two years after employment, 1,000 lei per month in the first year and 1,250 lei per month in the second year. For people in at-risk situations, employers would receive a monthly subsidy of 2,250 lei for a certain period, while mothers with three children would benefit from the same subsidy for one year.
The Ministry of Labor believes these measures also support employers facing a labor shortage and difficulties in attracting stable staff, especially in disadvantaged areas. Statistics show that only 17.2% of Romanians under 25 are employed, and the youth unemployment rate has reached 24.6%, the highest in the European Union.
AI skills
An increasing number of employers in Romania are adding Artificial Intelligence (AI) knowledge to their job requirements, according to a study conducted by an online recruitment company. Such skills are requested even for jobs unrelated to IT. Recruitment specialists note that these requirements have also appeared in fields like engineering, sales, data analysis, web design and marketing.
According to them, there is a clear and growing interest among employers for employees to gain digital skills and use AI tools, especially since statistics show that 4 in 10 employees already use AI in office tasks to reduce workload or obtain faster results. In turn, people seeking jobs in these fields also recognize how important these skills have become for employers and therefore express interest in career retraining or skill improvement.
Work permits
The General Inspectorate for Immigration has issued over 84,000 work permits for foreign citizens from the start of the year until October 31, representing more than 84% of the annual quota. Most foreign citizens were classified as permanent workers.
Approximately 400 people obtained permits as posted workers, and around 230 permits were issued for highly qualified workers. Nearly 180 foreign citizens received seasonal work permits, while 58 documents were issued for intra-company transferees. Additionally, 4 permits were granted for au pair workers, and one permit for a trainee worker. (VP)
