Some 25% of foreigners working in Romania are managers

Most foreigners in this country are Turkish citizens, exceeding 4,300. According to the Romanian Office for Immigration (ORI), the number of Turks doubled in 2007, with some 2,200 receiving work permits. These are followed by Chinese, at about 2,700, and citizens of the Republic of Moldova, with 2,000. Areas of activity for which work permits were issued in the June-December 2007 are construction, production, services, trade, banking, and gaming establishments.

According to data at the end of last year, some 65 percent of foreign adults in Romania had a job, and 19 percent of these were entrepreneurs. About 74 percent of work permits were issued for executive positions, while the remainder was for management.

With Romania’s entry into the European Union, employers are no longer required to apply for work permits for European citizens. According to the latest data available, there are 450 French, 400 Germans, 250 Italians and 150 Greeks and Austrians working in Romania.

Applications were received in the past six months for 2,367 persons, of which 1,704 were approved, according to ORI.

"The main reasons for which work permits were not approved involved employers not engaged in legal activities, lack of proof of studies or experience for those to be employed for existing vacancies," according to a statement to Business Standard by the General Manager of ORI, Vasile Dragoi.

According to estimates by the National Prognosis Commission, some 200,000-300,000 foreigners will come onto the Romanian labor market by 2013-2015.