Working in Romania
The latest from the Romanian labour market
Sorin Iordan, 26.02.2026, 12:21
Demand from Romanian employers for workers from outside the European Union exceeds the quota of approximately 90,000 people set for 2026, despite stricter hiring procedures, according to an analysis by Work From Asia, a recruitment company for non-EU workers. The analysis shows that this phenomenon is no longer a one-off occurrence, but reflects a structural transformation of the Romanian labor market, where experts estimate a shortage of several hundred thousand employees, particularly in sectors such as transport, construction, services, and manufacturing. The company points out that there have been years when the demand for labor from third countries was more than twice the number of workers approved by the government. The general manager of Work From Asia, Yosef Gavriel Peisakh, believes that Romania has entered into a global competition for labor, as workers choose between several destinations and their decision depends on salaries, working conditions, accommodation, the actual start date, and contractual stability. One of the solutions proposed to stabilize the Romanian labor market is to make employers accountable and align with international ethical standards in recruitment. At the same time, wage increases, compliance with the labor code, cultural integration of workers, and improvement of their living conditions are becoming decisive factors in a market where workers have real alternatives, according to the Work From Asia analysis.
Undeclared work remains one of Romania’s main problems, with the country having 5.7 million officially registered employees and 6.7 million active contracts, according to official data. According to reports, most people working undeclared are in construction, agriculture, HoReCa, or ridesharing. In this context, labor inspectors in Timiş County, in western Romania, say that this phenomenon has grown in recent years, especially in the field of alternative transport, where the number of drivers found to be working illegally is seven times higher than five years ago. The director of the Timiş Territorial Labor Inspectorate, Ileana Mogoşanu, said that checks on ridesharing platforms were initiated at a time when no one was controlling this area. The checks are difficult because the activity is carried out through digital applications, but inspectors have learned to interpret the data and document the violations, Mogoşanu added. Last year alone, the Timiş Territorial Labor Inspectorate collected approximately 3 million euros in fines from alternative transport companies. Penalties for undeclared work have recently been increased, with the fine for each person without a contract rising from 20,000 to 40,000 lei (4,000 to 8,000 euros).
The Ukrainian refugee community in Constanţa, a port city on the Black Sea, marked four years since the start of the large-scale Russian invasion and 12 years since the beginning of the aggression with the occupation of the Crimean Peninsula. Under the symbolic title “Voice of Light – 12 Years of Struggle, 4 Years of Unwavering Resistance,” the event was intended not only as a commemoration, but also as a reaffirmation of solidarity and faith in justice and a peaceful future. The event began at the Victory Monument in the Archaeological Park in Constanța with a symbolic artistic moment, followed by statements on the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, the serious situation of prisoners of war, and a message of gratitude to Romania for its support. The representative of the Ukrainian community, Aleksandra Cotoc, spoke about the 19,500 Ukrainian children who were kidnapped and taken to Russia. She appealed to the entire European community not to ignore what is happening in Ukraine, where every day, in addition to soldiers, children, women, and the elderly are dying. The demonstration ended in front of the Russian Federation Consulate in Constanța. According to last year’s statistics, there were almost 193,000 Ukrainian refugees in Romania, who are benefiting from temporary protection or who have obtained refugee status. Since the invasion began on February 24, 2022, more than 11 million Ukrainian refugees have transited the country on their way to Western European countries. (MI)
