The authorities retort that the labor market is free and they cannot force employees to work in Romania. However, they indicated that those who find jobs abroad through the government agency specialized in finding jobs in other countries for Romanian personnel are dropping.
Several years ago, the government founded an agency specialized in recruiting and placing personnel abroad, due to the high domestic unemployment rate and the wish of many Romanians to leave the country for better salaries. Agreements with several European countries were reached for this purpose.
Meanwhile, Romania’s unemployment rate declined significantly (3.8 percent in July), and companies are have difficulties recruiting personnel. “With its money, which it pays into the unemployment budget, the state trains and exports workforce. It is not normal that the state train the unemployed for free and then send them abroad,” the President of the Employers Union for Workforce Occupancy and Placement (ACORD), Roxana Prodan, told Business Standard.
Labor Minister Paul Pacuraru explained for Business Standard that the authorities cannot halt the placement of workers abroad, as contracts with several countries are still in effect, and their cancellation could lead to diplomatic problems. However, as of next year, several countries, including those with whom Romania has these agreements, will remove restrictions on their labor market, so the contracts will no longer be applicable.
