WORKING IN ROMANIA
News on the Romanian labor market
Călin Coțoiu and Sorin Iordan, 30.04.2026, 19:15
The Government in Bucharest has adopted an emergency ordinance on the access of foreign workers to the Romanian labor market. The spokesperson of the Executive, Ioana Dogioiu, stated that the normative act aims to reduce illegal migration, protect foreign workers, but also the interests of Romanian workers. The norms facilitate the access of entrepreneurs in Romania to workers from third countries, simplify procedures, and reduce approval deadlines. Among the most important provisions is the creation of a single national platform WorkinRomania.gov.ro through which the government, through the Ministry of Interior, will manage the access of foreign workers to the labor market. At the same time, a list of understaffed occupations will be introduced, approved by government decision and updated biannually, based on data from the National Agency for Employment, the National Institute of Statistics and consultation with social partners. Ioana Dogioiu also said that a mandatory preventive protection mechanism will be established that guarantees the coverage of costs related to repatriation, support for workers at risk, and the execution of misdemeanor fines applied to placement agencies that do not fulfill their legal obligations. The value of the guarantee for placement agencies will be 75,000 euros for 250 workers brought in. The spokesperson explained that employers who want to employ foreign workers will have to register on the electronic platform, which she believes will reduce the risk of unfair competition and abuse on the labor market.
The upcoming uniform wage law in Romania will not bring decreases in income, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said. In a radio interview, he said that, on the contrary, the normative act will bring some gains for certain categories as a measure of fairness. The logic is that those who currently earn more than they should, as a result of the classification of jobs and positions in the public sector, should remain at their current level until they are caught up by those whose earnings will increase year by year, as explained the head of the Bucharest executive. He said he hopes to reach an agreement between all parliamentary parties to support the new law. The Romanian Prime Minister addressed this issue with the interim Minister of Labor, Dragoş Pâslaru. He promised that the final form of the project will reflect the conditions of the existing budgetary-fiscal space, and will be carried out in close collaboration with the Ministry of Finance.
Around 230 unemployed people from Harghita County, in central Romania, have attended communication courses in Romanian in the last 5 years, the local Employment Agency announced. The institution’s representative, Jánó Edit, said that recently a real need has been identified among registered unemployed people to participate in Romanian language communication courses. These courses are held by specialized personnel in vocational training or by Romanian language teachers, in the cities of Miercurea-Ciuc, Odorheiu Secuiesc, Cristuru Secuiesc, and Gheorgheni, which have large Hungarian speaking populations. The courses last 80 hours, and the participating unemployed people learn basic communication in Romanian. In 2026, in Harghita, 30 unemployed people participated in Romanian language courses, and in May, digital skills sessions and specialization, qualification, or initiation programs in various professions will be organized.
The RAAL company in Bistriţa-Năsăud County is to lay off 500 employees, the local Employment Agency said. RAAL is a company specializing in the production of cooling systems and radiators for various industries. The employer is on its second collective layoff this year, after the one in February, when it laid off 250 employees. The situation is considered critical at the local level, as it will have a strong social impact. The director of AJOFM Bistriţa, Angela Koos, indicated that most of those who will be laid off are workers. She said that the institution will start offering them pre-dismissal services, so that the transition to a new job or to a period of unemployment is as easy as possible. The unemployment rate in Bistriţa County is currently 3.53%. Of the total number of people looking for a job, over 1,750 receive unemployment benefits.
