After the accession to the European Union, the labor market in Romania went through important transformations, marked simultaneously by the increase in the number of employees in the country and by a massive migration of the labor force to the Western European states. Thus, between 2008 and 2024, the civilian employed population in Romania decreased by approximately one million people, while the number of employees increased by only 600,000, which indicates a structural change in the labor market.
The labor market in Romania has gone through important transformations. Archive photo
After joining the European Union, in the period 2008-2024, pRomania’s civilian employed population decreased by one million peoplefrom 8.7 million (2008) to 7.7 million (2024), according to an analysis of the evolution of the employed population in Romania in the period 2008–2024, carried out by the Social Monitor, a project of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
In the same interval, the number of employees increased, from 5.2 million to 5.8 million. The categories that decreased the most, percentage-wise, were: unpaid family workers (72% less in 2024 than in 2008) and self-employed (31% less).
“The share of the civilian population employed in publicly owned enterprises remained constant (16.6% in 2008, 16.5% in 2024), while the share of the population employed in private increased from 79.9% to 81.8%“, mentions the FES study, stating that the employed population includes all people who normally exercise an income-generating occupation, being employed in an economic or social activity, based on an employment contract or independently, in order to obtain income in the form of wages, payment in kind or other types of payments. According to the INS, the civilian employed population does not include military personnel and persons assimilated to them (MApN, MAI, SRI personnel), prisoners and employees political and public organizations.
The employment rate of the working-age population, calculated as the percentage of the employed population relative to the resident population aged 15 to 64, registered a slight increase between 2008 (62.5%) and 2024 (63.4%).
For women, the employment rate is lower: 57.8% in 2008, 58.3% in 2024.
There are significant variations between counties in terms of employment rates of the working-age population. The highest values are registered in the counties of Cluj (78%), Timiș (77%) and Sibiu (74%). In Bucharest, the number of employed people (1.3 million) is higher than that of the resident population of working age, due to the fact that a significant number of residents work here in neighboring counties. The lowest levels of employment are in Giurgiu (40%), Botoșani (41%) and Călărași (41%) counties.
“These data underscore the need for public policies that support fair access to work, reduce regional disparities and improve conditions for all workers“, underlines the FES analysis.
How many Romanians work abroad
Romania has one of the largest diasporas in the European Union, the phenomenon of labor migration becoming structural in recent decades. Official and international estimates show that between 3 and 5 million Romanians work abroad, but the total number of the diaspora is higher if those permanently settled or not officially registered are also included, with some analyzes even raising the figure to 6–8 million people.
A large part of the Romanians who left work in the European Union, where labor mobility increased significantly after 2007. According to Eurostat data, Romania is consistently at the top of the EU states in terms of the number of citizens living in other European countries, with over 3.1 million emigrants registered in the EU states.
The main Romanian communities in Europe
The largest community is in Italy, where over 1 million Romanians live. They are particularly concentrated in construction, home care (home care), services, cleaning and light industry. Italy was one of the first major destinations to join the EU, and migration has remained consistently high.
In Spain, the Romanian community is estimated at approximately 600,000 – 900,000 people. Romanians work mainly in seasonal agriculture, construction, logistics and the service sector, including HoReCa.
In the last decade, Germany has become one of the main destinations, with approximately 900,000 – 1 million Romanians. Here, the diaspora is active in industry, logistics, construction, services and the medical system, with Germany having a constant demand for both skilled and unskilled labor.
In Great Britain, the number of Romanians is estimated at 500,000 – 700,000, with an accelerated increase after Romania’s accession to the EU and in the period before and after Brexit. Romanians work in construction, transport, hotel and cleaning services, but also in the medical and social fields.
The phenomenon of massive migration is closely related to the salary differences and the economic opportunities between Romania and the Western European states. After 2007, with the complete liberalization of movement in the European Union, departures increased rapidly, and Romania became one of the main countries of origin of emigrants from the EU.
At the same time, the diaspora has a significant economic impactincluding through the money sent home, but also through social effects, such as the depopulation of some regions and the labor shortage in certain sectors of the country.
