"The deficit is critical in Bucharest, especially at the level of unskilled workers. If in the other areas, companies can still use the workforce in the vicinity of cities, Bucharest has fully consumed its resources, due to its rapid development pace," said Larisa Condriuc, Consultant at Manpower Romania, one of the top five players on the local human resource market.

Construction is severely affected, as the share of unskilled personnel reaches some 25-30 percent, depending on the project.

"Bucharest attracts specialized workers from throughout the country more easily, as it is an area with significant economic growth. Unskilled workers, however, are much more difficult to attract," said Laurentiu Plosceanu, President of the Romanian Association of Entrepreneurs in Construction (ARACO). According to him, the present gross minimum salary for an unskilled worker is RON 570 (some €160), and will probably remain at this level until 2009.