According to the HR Review & Trends Report by eJobs

In 2023, the eJobs recruitment platform saw the posting of no less than 370,000 new jobs and 11 million applications. The most sought-after candidates were entry-level, followed by mid-level and inexperienced candidates, with senior-level candidates being the least in demand.

Salaries

In terms of salaries, 50% of active employees in the Romanian labor market earned monthly incomes between 2,000 and 4,000 lei in 2023.

Fewer Jobs in 2023 Compared to 2022

In 2023, 370,000 new jobs were posted on eJobs, a 12% decrease compared to 2022. Of these, 87.1% were jobs in Romania, 7.4% were abroad, and 5.4% were remote. The decrease in the number of jobs was attributed to uncertainty caused by fiscal changes and a turbulent macroeconomic context, not a reduction in recruitment needs.

Out of the 370,000 jobs, over 160,000 were posted in Bucharest. The total number of jobs in the top three provincial cities—Cluj-Napoca, Iași, and Timișoara—did not exceed the capital.

Here is the Top 10 list of cities/counties in Romania with the most jobs available on the eJobs platform:

1. Bucharest
2. Cluj-Napoca
3. Iași
4. Timișoara
5. Brașov
6. Ilfov
7. Constanța
8. Ploiești
9. Sibiu
10. Craiova

Compared to 2022, Iași climbed two positions in 2023, surpassing Timișoara, while Ilfov moved up three positions.

Over 11 Million Applications on eJobs in 2023

The number of applications submitted by candidates on eJobs increased by 10% compared to the previous year, reaching over 11 million. Of these, 83.9% were for jobs in Romania, 1.6% for jobs abroad, and 14.5% for remote jobs.

The most active periods for candidates were the beginning of the year and the early autumn months, with the peak application level in September, recording over 1 million applications.

The city with the highest number of applications, with nearly half of the total, was Bucharest.

Here are the most attractive cities/counties for candidates according to the HR Review & Trends report by eJobs:

1. Bucharest
2. Cluj-Napoca
3. Timișoara
4. Iași
5. Brașov
6. Ilfov
7. Constanța
8. Ploiești
9. Craiova
10. Sibiu

Compared to 2022, Ilfov entered the top 10 at the 6th position, Ploiești dropped two positions, and Oradea fell out of the top 10.

Entry-Level Candidates Were the Most Sought After

According to the eJobs report, the most sought-after candidates in 2023 were entry-level (39.6%), followed by mid-level (28.4%), and inexperienced candidates (21%). Senior-level candidates accounted for 8.4%, and Manager/Executive positions for 2.6%.

The same report revealed that the most active candidates in the Romanian labor market in 2023 were those aged 25-35 (38.8%), followed by those aged 18-24 (30.2%) and 36-45 (18.9%). Candidates over 45 represented 11.3% of active candidates, while those under 18 were active at 0.8%.

2023 was the fourth consecutive year in which the 18-24 age group remained the second most active age group in the Romanian labor market.

Increased Interest in Part-Time Jobs in 2023

According to eJobs, applications for part-time jobs increased in 2023 after a decline in the second half of 2022 due to a decision to tax these jobs at the level of the minimum wage.

Throughout the past year, 83.2% of applications were for full-time jobs, 14.3% for part-time, 1.3% for project/seasonal, and 1.2% for internship/volunteer positions.

Recruitment mirrored these trends, with 80% for full-time, 15% for part-time, 4% for project/seasonal, and 1% for internship/volunteer roles.

Almost 40% of all jobs published last year, a 16% increase compared to 2022, were held by small companies and startups, which especially attracted young candidates starting their careers.

Over the course of 2023, more than 12,500 small companies and startups were active with at least one job posting.

Number of Remote Jobs Decreased by 34%, While Interest Increased

In 2023, there were 20,000 remote jobs available, a 34% decrease from 2022. Meanwhile, the number of applications for remote jobs increased by 23%, reaching 1.6 million.

According to the eJobs report, the downward trend of employers recruiting for remote positions was also evident, with 87% of new jobs in 2023 requiring office presence, if not daily, then in a hybrid mode of 2-4 days per week.

Despite this, candidates’ interest in remote jobs increased, with 14.5% of total applications for such positions.

The fields with the most remote jobs available in 2023 were: call-center/BPO, IT/Telecom, advertising/marketing/PR, insurance, media/Internet, banking, retail, education/training, services, and tourism.

eJobs also presented the top fields that attracted the most applications for remote jobs, with call-center/BPO in the first place, followed by IT/Telecom, advertising/marketing/PR, banking, services, retail, media/Internet, education/training, insurance, and tourism/HoReCa.

Number of Jobs Abroad Decreased Last Year

The number of jobs available abroad decreased by 11.5% in 2023, down to 27,400 jobs, while the number of applications increased by 2.3% compared to 2022, totaling 176,000 applications.

The countries with the most jobs available last year were:

1. Germany
2. Netherlands
3. Italy
4. France
5. Spain
6. Belgium
7. United Kingdom
8. Greece
9. Moldova
10. Norway

Regarding the countries with the most applications, the ranking differed slightly, with Italy at the bottom and Spain not in the top 10. Germany and the Netherlands topped the list, likely due to both countries offering many available jobs and being economically attractive.

50% of Active Employees in Romania Earned Between 2,000 and 4,000 Lei Monthly

In 2023, Romania had 5.76 million active employees. Of these, 7.8% earned below 2,000 lei, 21.1% between 2,001 and 3,000 lei, 29.2% between 3,001 and 4,000 lei, 26.1% between 4,001 and 7,000 lei, 10.3% between 7,001 and 10,000 lei, and only 5.5% earned over 10,000 lei.

The top 10 counties with the highest average salaries in Romania were:

1. Bucharest (5,000 lei net)
2. Timiș (4,700 lei net)
3. Cluj (4,500 lei net)
4. Ilfov (4,000 lei net)
5. Iași (4,000 lei net)
6. Brașov (4,000 lei net)
7. Sibiu (4,000 lei net)
8. Satu Mare (4,000 lei net)
9. Sălaj (3,978 lei net)
10. Bihor (3,950 lei net)

Conversely, the counties with the lowest average salaries were Caraș-Severin (3,100 lei net), Gorj, Ialomița, and Vâlcea (3,200 lei net), and Vaslui (3,300 lei net).

In terms of fields with the highest average net salaries in the country, the eJobs ranking was as follows:

1. IT Software – 6,500 lei
2. Project Management – 6,000 lei
3. Research/Development – 6,000 lei
4. Management – 5,500 lei
5. Construction/Installation – 5,000 lei
6. Civil & Industrial Design – 5,000 lei
7. Oil/Gas – 5,000 lei
8. Audit/Consultancy – 5,000 lei
9. Engineering – 4,800 lei
10. Automation – 4,800 lei

On the other hand, the fields with the lowest average salaries were: beauty/au pair/babysitting/cleaning – 3,000 lei, office/back-office/secretarial – 3,100 lei, garment – 3,300 lei, and tourism – 3,400 lei.

A top of positions with the highest average salaries was also created, with the CEO position at the top with an average net salary of 18,000 lei, followed by the naval officer with an average net earning of 16,000 lei and the IT architect with an average net salary of 15,000 lei.

Unemployment Rate in 2023

As expected, the HR Review & Trends report also discussed unemployment figures. In Q

3 2023, the unemployment rate was 5.4%, equal to Q2, while in Q1 last year, the unemployment rate was 5.8%. By age group, the unemployment rate was highest among young people aged 15-24 (22.1%).

Inflation Rate in 2023

In November 2023, the inflation rate was 6.7%, with the highest index of the year recorded in February, at 15.5%. The increase in inflation put pressure on wage increases, with companies granting average raises of 5-10%, below the level of 2022 and inflation.

15 Trends Impacting 2024

The HR Review & Trends report revealed key figures about the labor market over the past year and several trends that will shape the labor market in 2024.

Here are the trends expected to impact 2024, according to eJobs:

1. The era of hybrid flexibility
2. Equality
3. Inclusion and integration
4. Effortless recruitment
5. Respect for employee rights
6. Employer branding
7. Digitalized recruitment
8. Development of Gen Z managers
9. Purpose-driven organizational culture
10. Internal upskilling and reskilling
11. Attention to employee mental health
12. Human-centered organizational culture
13. Feedforward
14. Reverse mentoring
15. Artificial intelligence

The complete report by eJobs can be found [here](https://www.ejobs.ro).