The labor market, in danger in 2026. Employers criticize the limitation of the number of foreign workers

The Employers' Association of Labor Importers expresses its concern in the context of anticipated legislative changes in the field of immigration, but also in relation to the contradictory information regarding the contingent of foreign workers for the year 2026.

The quota of foreign workers has been reduced to 75,000 for 2026. Photo Inquam Photos

Although initially, during the meeting of the Tripartite National Council, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan mentioned the possibility of a contingent of 90,000 foreign workers, the Secretary General of the Government, Radu Oprea, later conveyed that the Executive is considering establishing a ceiling of 75,000 non-EU workers. This decrease comes at a time when more and more companies, including those from the SME area, continue to report an acute staff shortage.

At the same time, the Patronatul Importatorilor de Forță Mănă (PIFM) rejects the idea that reducing the quota would protect employees at risk of being laid off, given that the fields in which non-EU workers are recruited are not the same as those targeted by the restructuring of the public system. “If we study the job groups for which Asian workers are brought in, we see that they are fields where public sector personnel are never hired. Such a measure will not really protect the laid-off workers, but limits the ability of employers to meet their needs“, stated Romulus Badea, president of PIFM.

In addition, the Government intends to implement, by January 1, major changes regarding the digitization and simplification of immigration procedures. According to the official releases of the Ministry of Labor and the statements of the Secretary of State Ciprian Văcaru, the new normative acts would reduce processing times and modernize the system as a whole, adapting it to the current realities of the labor market. The Employers' Association of Labor Importers supports this initiative, but underlines the need for the Executive to publish the new quota as early as December. “If this law is implemented from January 1, we assume that there will be a transition period, and over this transition we would not like the lack of the contingent to overlap”added Romulus Badea.

The employer warns that the announced legislative changes, which come with a number of immediate consequences, must include a transition period sufficient to process the thousands of files already submitted. It is essential that the new rules do not lead to the automatic cancellation of files submitted online, but not in physical format, because such a situation would affect both employers and workers who have invested time, money and hope in relocating to Romania.

“During the transition period, if the law is published for example on January 8, all work permit files submitted online and not physically received, even if they are scheduled, could be canceled. Basically, we have done recruitment and all the legal steps to bring workers, and these people, who have legitimate expectations and have already incurred expenses, could remain in the air. It would be a deeply unfair situation”says Romulus Badea, president of the Labor Importers' Association.

The Patronatul Importatorilor de Forță de Mancă, a member of IMM Romania, emphasizes the importance of open dialogue between the authorities and recruitment agencies. The expertise accumulated over decades of activity, during which tens of thousands of foreign workers were brought in, can prevent crisis situations and ensure an efficient legislative transition. “On many occasions, we have presented to the authorities the necessary steps for a qualitative process, which would resolve the vulnerabilities encountered in practice. The authorities have their role in the immigration process and cooperation with us is essential to the success of these reforms“, Romulus Badea also transmitted.

PIFM reaffirms its openness to institutional dialogue and expresses its confidence that the Romanian state understands the critical importance of this sector. “We are human and the resource we operate with is the most precious. We must be part of this change, not just witnesses to it“, concluded the president of the Employers' Association of Labor Importers.