The labor market up to date: why Romanians are no longer leaving the country, who earns the best and how AI is changing our jobs
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If we were to try to define the period we are going through in one word, it would be “pragmatism”. After years of uncertainty, pandemics and crises, the labor market in Romania seems to have entered a stage of forced maturation. We are no longer just talking about “having a job”, but about a complex calculation that employees and employers alike make: is it worth the effort? Is it worth the risk? Is it worth learning something new?
We are going through a moment where all the pieces of the puzzle are falling into place: wages are rising (but not everywhere), the mirage of foreignness is fading, and technology is knocking on our door more insistently than ever. But how does all this relate to each other? There is an obvious red thread: the search for local efficiency and stability.
The good news: You are no longer fighting (so hard) with the West
For years, the biggest competitor of the Romanian entrepreneur was not the company opposite, but the salary in euros from Germany or Great Britain. However, data from a recent eJobs survey shows a major paradigm shift: Romanians' interest in jobs abroad has reached its lowest level in the last 5 years.
Only 1.1% of the applications recently registered on eJobs.ro went to foreign countries. Why is this good news for Romanian entrepreneurs? Because the local talent pool is more stable. Skilled workers, engineers or service specialists now prefer home security.
However, there is a price for this stability. Candidates stay in the country because they expect financial and working conditions to rival, on a scale, those outside.
Pressure on budgets: Where have wages increased?
Stability costs. To stay competitive and keep up with inflation, many employers have had to raise wages. According to data from Salario, the eJobs brand salary comparator, the sectors that have “heated up” the market are not just the usual ones (IT), but also the vital ones for the infrastructure of any business.
If you are active in areas such as construction (+10%), Energy (+8%) or pharma (+15%), you probably already felt the pressure. The shortage of specialists has forced the hand of companies to offer more.
Advice for entrepreneurs: If you can't keep up with corporate salary increases, you have to compensate with other benefits. This is where transparency comes in. Publishing your salary in your job ad not only filters out the wrong candidates, but also positions your brand as honest and open, especially now, before the implementation of the European salary transparency directive.
Productivity, the currency: Why you need AI in the company
If you have to pay higher wages, the only way to protect your profit margin is to increase productivity. This is where Artificial Intelligence enters the scene, which is no longer a “tech” fad, but a business necessity.
Although the demand for digital skills has exploded in job ads, according to a recent eJobs study, the reality on the ground is worrying: only 4 out of 10 employees actively use AI.
For an entrepreneur, this is a huge opportunity for efficiency. Instead of hiring new people for repetitive tasks, it is more cost-effective to find specialists who are already familiar with AI tools. An employee who knows how to use technology can do the work of two people in half the time, thus justifying the higher salary.
Your Unexpected Advantage: Speed and Flexibility
Beyond salary, there is one area where, as an entrepreneur or manager in a small company, you can beat any multinational: reaction time. Market analysis shows a clear change in behavior: good candidates no longer have the patience to go through cumbersome processes, with four lines of interviews and weeks of waiting for an answer.
This is where your asset comes in. If a corporation is stuck in procedures, you have the freedom to simplify everything. The secret to successful employment in today's environment is cutting red tape.
- Be quick: A good candidate receives, on average, several offers at once. The one who calls first and makes a concrete offer has the best chance of success.
- It simplifies the process: For certain roles, the classic CV can be an unnecessary barrier. Platforms like iajob.ro have grown precisely because they allow direct contact, by phone or on WhatsApp, between you and the candidate. This approach eliminates downtime and gets your man to the interview overnight.
- Flexibility as a benefit: If your budget doesn't allow you to compete with top market salaries, you can compensate with flexibility. The ability to choose their work hours or to solve personal problems during the day is a benefit that a corporate giant has a hard time offering, but which you can immediately grant. For many candidates, this balance is worth as much as a raise.
What's next? Your strategy for 2026
If we look to 2026, it becomes clear that entrepreneurs are forced to make the transition from “survival” to “optimization”. Here are the three strategic directions to consider for 2026:
- Retention becomes a priority: The cost of replacing an employee has become much higher than the cost of keeping him. In 2026, training and upskilling budgets (especially in the digital/AI area) will have an ROI (return on investment) better than external recruitment budgets.
- Flexibility as a fiscal tool: If you can't raise net wages to match the competition, schedule flexibility and hybrid working will remain the strongest differentiator for SMBs. It's a benefit that doesn't cost you money, but which the employee values enormously.
- Recruiting based on potential, not history: The crisis of “ready-made” specialists will deepen. The successful entrepreneurs of 2026 will be those who hire people with the right attitude and ability to learn (soft skills), assuming the role of internal technical training.
The bottom line? The labor market has become more expensive, but also more stable. The success of your business in the coming period depends on how fast you move (using platforms like eJobs.ro or iajob.ro) and how well you calibrate your salary offer (checking the market via Salary) to attract those people who bring real value, not just attendance to the program.
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This article is part of an initiative by Banca Transilvania, which wants to support entrepreneurs and provide them with all the necessary information when they are at the beginning of their journey. If you want to start a business, BT is at your side with resources, information and know-how. To make it easier for you.
Article supported by Banca Transilvania
