Managers to make up 16% of total layoffs by year-end

Estimates by human resource (HR) specialists on the market are more pessimistic, at 20 percent.

“The explanation is that, together with normally laid-off personnel, companies forewent managers with high salaries, who did not bring added value in accordance with their salaries,” said the General Manager of the HR Pluri Consultants Romania, Madalina Popescu.

“For a few months, we receive daily at least three resumes of managers who either were laid off or are going to be in the near future,” said Sorin Roibu, Managing Director of the Arthur Hunt executive search company.

Lower and middle managers are the main target of layoffs, together with those working in departments such as HR, public relations, and marketing, and administration.

“Surprisingly, although the financial-banking industry is considered to be one of the most affected by the crisis, there were not major layoffs in this field, on the contrary, companies continue to recruit specialists and middle managers,” said Iulia Ichim, Executive Manager of the HR Dynamics consultancy company. Ichim added that most vacancies are in fields such as IT, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), retail, telecom, and consultancy.