The labor market is constantly changing, with employers caught between the desire to make their companies more efficient despite the tax burden and the needs of the good employees they want and need to keep. Despite the efforts, a large part of employees resign and not only because of the salary level. The specialists consulted by “Adevărul” explained the reasons and where employers go wrong.
The labor market is constantly changing. Archive photo
The results of the latest published survey show that this year around a quarter of employers say they offer lower wages than the competition, but also that 28% of employees quit because of too much work.
The specialists consulted by “Adevărul” explained the main reasons why Romanians resign, which vary according to the age and experience of the employees.
Why do Romanian employees resign?
When asked “why Romanian employees resign”, business consultant Sorin Spiridon, founder of TPC Concept, explained that, first of all, an analysis of salary levels must be done.
“To correctly answer the question 'why do employees resign', it is important to distinguish between salary levels, because the reasons differ significantly“, Spiridon declared for “Adevărul”.
First, he says, low-income workers focus on survival and stability. For this category, salary is not a benefit, but a critical necessity. The decision to leave is, most of the time, related to income: the increase in the cost of living, the lack of financial predictability or the appearance of a better paying offer. Stability and safety are priority.
Second, employees with above-average incomes focus on meaning, equity and autonomy: “In their case, the reasons are more complex and less strictly related to money”said Spyridon.
On the other hand, micro-management, arbitrary decisions and the lack of constructive feedback erode the attachment to the company, says the consultant, adding that in other situations, employees become sensitive to how the created “wealth” is distributed: if the company's performance increases, but the benefits are not reflected in the team, frustration arises.
“When the anchors that keep them connected to the workplace no longer work, loyalty drops rapidly. And here we are talking about the 'brand anchor', that is, how important the place, the company they work, is for them, the 'professional pride anchor', that is, how important what they do is in the company, the 'collective anchor', that is the attachment to colleagues, and the 'financial security anchor', that is, they can build their life in the company they work for. When these anchors weaken or disappear, loyalty rapidly declines”Spiridon explained.
In his view, many companies fail because they try to retain both categories using the same methods – either only through salary increases or only through organizational culture initiatives. “In reality, needs are different and retention strategies must be tailored to each segmenthe said.
Resignations are no longer a “whim”
For his part, career counselor Mihaela Ciuraru, founder of the career center – Emthrive, told “truth” that, in his opinion, resignations are no longer a “whim”, but a reset signal.
“In young people (up to 26–27 years old) I most often see the gap between what they have studied and what they feel really suits them. Many realize 1–2 years after employment that their chosen job does not reflect their skills or values and prefer to change direction early, when the cost of a wrong decision is lower. It's not a lack of perseverance, it's, in fact, a process of professional identity clarification that should be encouraged and better guided since college.”explained Ciuraru for “truth“.
The career specialist said that in the 27-33 age group, she noticed another dominant motivation related to health and balance. “People are willing to work and perform, but not at the cost of burnout or in a toxic environment. If the organization does not provide psychological safety, respect and a sustainable pace, resignation becomes a form of self-protection, not escape. This generation has learned to set limits and choose contexts in which it can grow without being consumed“, she stated.
She added that at 45-55 years old, especially among women, she increasingly saw the courage of an assumed change: after years of putting family, stability or “what's right” first, they finally choose with their soul. “It's not a crisis, it's a maturing of the professional choice. People are leaving not just jobs, but old versions of themselves, to build a career more aligned with their own desires and values. To me, as the founder of Emthrive, this says that the job market is entering a stage where meaning, health and fit matter as much as salary or title.”declared the specialist for “truth“.
Exhausted from so much work
When contacted, Mihaela Ancu, IT Recruiter at Human Connection, told “Adevărul” that, since the beginning of the year, many IT candidates who are actively looking for a new job indicated the high workload as the main reason.
“I'm talking about companies where, following layoffs in 2025, those who remain have also taken over the responsibilities of their departed colleagues. The pace thus created is difficult to maintain in the medium term and almost impossible in the long term, which is why they choose to explore other opportunities“, explained Ancu for “truth“.
According to her, another factor she invokes in the interview is the perception of instability. “People have seen colleagues leave and do not have enough indications that the situation will stabilize, on the contrary, they fear a new wave of restructuring. In this context, they prefer to look for alternatives in advance, rather than wait for a possible decision that no longer depends on themshe said.
Last but not least, the recruitment specialist opines, the freedom to choose where you work remains a sensitive topic.
“Some of the people I talk to don't see a clear justification for going back to the office, especially where work can be done effectively remotely. When this change is forced, a sense of inequity arises, and an opportunity to work remotely becomes worth exploring.
For employees who have been with a company for a long time and whose annual raises have not kept pace with the market, the salary gap accumulated over time becomes the main reason why they decide to talk to me about a career change“, added the specialist.
Labor market trends in 2026
The HR Trends 2026 study, carried out by Randstad Romania, shows that HR leaders, 2026 represents a year of maintaining the balance between development and operational prudence; while most companies plan salary increases, only 34% expect an increase in revenue.
“Leadership must move beyond the stage of reactive salary increases and adopt a full compensation strategy – combining financial benefits with well-being benefits – and AI-based efficiency to secure a competitive advantage in a market where 53% of leaders predict that technology will reshape the workforce,” said Dagmara Chudzińska-Matysiak, Managing Director, Randstad Romania.
This year, 83% of companies plan to increase salaries for white-collar staff (TESA – technical, economic and socio-administrative), while 85% expect increases for blue-collar staff (workers). Only 17% (for white-collar positions) and 14% (for blue-collar) of employers expect wages to remain unchanged. Among companies implementing increases in 2025, 27% reported a 4–5% salary increase for white-collar employees, compared to 23% for blue-collar roles, highlighting a slightly more cautious approach to operational roles. Most respondents believe their salary levels are in line with the competition, however 23% admit they offer lower compensation than the market for similar positions, a factor that can complicate recruitment efforts.
38% of companies do not plan to implement / access flexible working arrangements in 2026, while 29% are exploring more agile models such as part-time, project-based work or temporary workforce. An interesting and growing trend is for 'Digital Nomad' type arrangements, which allow for complete location independence, to attract niche talent.
In organizations with work-from-home policies, working from home two days a week remains the most common model, while there is a slight increase in fully flexible models compared to last year. New work paradigms are also visible: 3% of employers have implemented the 4-day work week.
Many leave because of the heavy workload and lack of advancement opportunities
The study highlights an interesting reality: although salary remains the main driver of staff turnover (79%), employers also lose talent for non-financial reasons. 39% of departures are due to lack of advancement opportunities, while 29% of employees choose to leave due to excessive workload. In this context, the winners of the “war for talent” will be those who invest in role design and organizational culture, offering more than just pay fixes.
Labor force dynamics remain relatively balanced. In 2025, 37% of companies expanded their staff, 38% kept it stable and 25% reduced the number of employees. Most increases were limited to 1–6%, while a more significant increase of over 15% was reported by 22% of expanding companies.
Looking ahead, 30% of respondents plan to increase headcount in 2026, with business development remaining the main reason for hiring, albeit at slightly lower levels than in previous years. Recruiting demand is strongest in engineering and manufacturing, while hiring intentions in customer service departments have declined, which could be a sign of the fallout from automation, given that 44% of companies plan to integrate AI in this area.
Attracting talent, especially in IT and sales, remains a challenge — not just due to salary expectations (considered unrealistic by 49% of employers), but also a real skills shortage: half of companies report candidates lacking domain-specific experience. Employment from non-EU/EEA (European Economic Area) countries remains limited but stable, being preferred by 6% of companies for white-collar positions and 15% for blue-collar positions.
