The labor force deficit is increasingly visible in Romania, according to Eugen Preda, General Secretary of the National Agency for Labor (ANOFM), the governmental body responsible for the local labor force. While both employers and workers are focusing on certain jobs, others are avoided by jobseekers.
The construction sector is experiencing the most serious lack of qualified personnel. According to Construction Employers’ Union President Gheorghe Polizu, some 400,000 people are working in the field, but a further 600,000-700,000 employees are needed to meet demand in this sector.
Due to a lack of personnel, some entrepreneurs are abandoning construction projects, while others are considering employing workers from abroad. In western Romania, employers are looking into hiring Serbian personnel, according to Preda.
Research carried out by on-line employment portal Neogen indicates that companies are presently struggling to find IT personnel, “because many of the good IT specialists have left the country,” according to Neogen officials. Call-center and support-center operators who speak languages such as Czech, Arabic and Slovenian are also hard to find.
Companies are also searching for Java programmers, secretaries, bookkeepers, pharmacists, and sales representatives.
The most sought-after positions by candidates applying for jobs on Neogen’s Best Jobs site and that of its main competitor, eJobs, are mystery shoppers, loan officers and bank tellers.
Alternatively, prospective employees avoid jobs in areas such as textile work and agricultural tool mechanics, because of low pay and perspectives, Preda said. He added that jobs posted at ANOFM do not fully cover the labor market, as several employers recruit personnel without the agency’s help.
Recruitment agencies also face difficulties in finding personnel for their clients, especially technology and finance consultants.
Companies want applicants to have 3-5 years work experience, which makes recruiting more difficult. Software engineers and designers, electrical engineers, and speakers of Czech, Polish and German are the most difficult to find, according to Manpower representatives.
Shortage
Due to a lack of personnel, some entrepreneurs are abandoning construction projects, while others are considering employing workers from abroad. In western Romania, employers are looking into hiring Serbian personnel.
