Romanians are becoming more pragmatic in 2026: almost half of the employees have or are looking for a second job to cope with the price increases. Paradoxically, although they work more, the salary is no longer enough to keep them in a company. A recent study shows that work-life balance has officially become the main reason why employees choose not to resign.
Almost half of the employees have or are looking for a second job. Archive photo
47% of employees are in this situation, above the global average of 40%, according to the Workmonitor 2026 study carried out by Randstad Romania. In parallel, a third say they have increased or intend to increase their working hours at their current job, a significant increase from 2025, when only one in five employees did so.
Salary attracts, but work-life balance decides retention
Salary remains the main criterion for selecting a new job for 82% of Romanian employees. However, the decision to stay in a job is dominated by other priorities: work-life balance (48%) trumps salary (30%) and job security (17%).
This change shows an increasingly clear orientation towards stability and quality of life, not just towards higher incomes.
In an economic context marked by uncertainty and rising costs, Dagmara Chudzińska-Matysiak, Managing Director at Randstad Romania, emphasizes that employees are becoming more pragmatic and manage their careers more actively: “talents in Romania have become increasingly pragmatic, they want more control over their professional future”. She also shows that this change creates a tension in the labor market, where autonomy is valued by employers but difficult to implement.
Increasing number of multiple jobs and working hours
Amid economic pressure, traditional forms of work are becoming more flexible. The 47% who have or are looking for a second job clearly exceed the global average. In addition, about a third of respondents are increasing their workload in their current job, an accelerated trend compared to the previous year.
This development indicates a financial adaptation strategy, not necessarily a desire for professional mobility.
Fewer resignations, more caution
Compared to the previous year, Romanian employees are less willing to take risks. Fewer ask for raises and fewer use the threat of resignation as a bargaining tool. Dissatisfaction no longer turns into departure as quickly, and the sense of belonging to the company has less influence than in previous years.
For employers, retention increasingly depends on stability, flexibility and perceived security.
From linear career to “portfolio career”
The traditional career model is changing. Employers (80%) emphasize skills and experience, not degrees or rigid pathways. In this context, 37% of employees want a “portfolio career”, i.e. an activity carried out in several fields and roles throughout their working life. However, 42% remain faithful to the classic linear career model, and globally the percentage is similar (41%).
More and more Romanians are looking for a second job. How much they earn and what are the highest paying fields
Flexibility, a decisive criterion for employees
Flexibility remains a critical factor in choosing a job. 40% of employees would not accept a job without location flexibility, and 42% would not accept one without schedule flexibility. Moreover, 43% have already left jobs due to incompatibility with personal life, and 30% have resigned due to lack of autonomy in the way they work.
At the same time, 75% of employers believe that autonomy increases engagement, productivity and retention, but 85% do not allow employees to set their own schedule, highlighting a major gap between perception and practice.
High confidence, but changes in the way of working
The professional environment remains relatively stable from the point of view of interpersonal relations: more than 70% of employees trust the company's management and colleagues, and more than 60% declare that they have a good relationship with their direct manager. Interestingly, around 50% of employees use AI for professional advice instead of turning to their superiors.
Collaboration is central: 84% say they are more productive when working as a team (vs. 78% global average), and 77% rely on cross-generational collaboration. Additionally, 100% consider generational diversity a factor in productivity and want more management involvement in improving collaboration.
Artificial intelligence: between efficiency and uncertainty
AI adoption has accelerated strongly, with 80% of employers investing in this technology in the past year, particularly in IT and logistics. Demand for skills is growing rapidly, and AI training programs have risen to the top of employee preferences (from 40% to 44%).
At the same time, perceptions are divided: 21% of Romanians believe that AI will not affect their job, while 34% fear that they will lose their job in the next five years. At the same time, 70% of employers anticipate major changes in work tasks, compared to only 48% of employees.
Although 63% say AI makes their work easier and allows them to focus on more important tasks, 44% believe the benefits will go mainly to companies, not employees.
The study carried out by Randstad indicates a labor market undergoing accelerated transformation: Romanian employees are more cautious, more oriented towards multiple incomes and more attentive to the work-life balance. At the same time, flexibility, autonomy and adaptation to new technologies are becoming decisive factors for both retention and attractiveness of employers.
