site.btaRomania Doubles Foreign Worker Quota In Bid to Solve Workforce Shortage
ESD 19:53:32 10-02-2022
YV1949ES.115
115 BALKAN INSIDER - ROMANIA - FOREIGN WORKERS
Romania Doubles Foreign Worker Quota
In Bid to Solve
Workforce Shortage
Sofia, February 10 (Sofia Georgieva of BTA) - This year, Romania has decided to double the work permits for EU third country nationals in a bid to solve at least to a certain degree the shortage of workforce on the local labour market. Romanian companies may recruit up to 100,000 workers from countries outside the union, a record number double the figure last year, Romanian media note.
Over 100,000 people from countries outside the EU have come to work in Romania over the last ten years. An unqualified worker from Asia earns an average 500 euro a month, Digi TV said.
For the last summer season, hoteliers relied a lot on third country workers for a lack of an alternative on the domestic labour market, the President of the Federation of Hotel Industry in Romania, Calin Ile, told Agerpres agency.
The hotel industry is doing its best to raise salaries in the sector and become more attractive, particularly to those Romanians who have gone to work abroad.
Nearly five million Romanians live abroad and most of them have left in the quest for better remuneration.
Construction is another sector of the economy suffering from a severe shortage of workforce.
The President of the Association of Entrepreneurs, Christian Parvan, told Radio Free Europe that Romania has an ageing workforce and companies have to cope with the competition on the European market where many Romanians go to work.
"Whoever qualifies in Romania, leaves and heads West. Germany, for example, said it needs 400,000 workers a year. There are hundreds of Romanian enterprises who have no one to work with," Parvan pointed out, as quoted by Free Europe.
Romanian companies recruit workers mainly from Asia, from India, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
Parvan explains that with the serious competition on the European market. "Why would an Ukrainian come to Romania instead of going to Germany or Poland where the offers are better?" is the way he puts it.
Concelex construction company Executive Director Catalin Visan says he is expecting 70 Tajiks and 30 Pakistanis. Currently, nearly half of the company's 600 employees are foreigners.
The monthly costs per foreign worker reach 1,200 euro, including 600-700 euro salary and the employer's costs for accommodation and food.
Visan says he cannot find Romanian workers for the long term. If he succeeds in recruiting some, they stay a couple of days and then leave. He admits it is more attractive for them to go to Germany, where they are offered 3,000-3,500 euro.
In 2022 the number of employed in construction grew to 420,000 compared to 330,000 in 2021, data of the Romanian Association of Construction Contractors show. They also show that the costs for a foreign worker are higher than those for a Romanian worker.
Romanian Confederation of Licensed Operators and Transporters (COTAR) President Vasile Stefanscu says the transport sector is also looking for foreign workers. Over 100,000 drivers for the companies in Romania are wanted and even now there are drivers from Asia, particularly Sri Lanka, he explains.
The demand for foreign workers on the Romanian market was also high last year, in spite of the pandemic, Radio Free Europe noted. In January-August 2021, 6,518 companies requested certificates for workforce from abroad, compared to 4,135 in 2020.
At the same time, human resources companies say the recruitment of a foreign worker sometimes takes up to eight months because of red tape.
The average period of waiting depends on the country from which the workers come. For some, like Nepal, India and Bangladesh, there is a single embassy in New Delhi, which is understaffed. The issuance of a visa takes five months, experts say.
Labour Minister Marius Budai told Digi 24 TV that local business had demanded a higher quota of foreign workers for the Romanian market in 2022 so that it could develop its operation over the year. Talks were under way to complement the consular staff wherever necessary, but the restrictions imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic had also caused problems in that respect./DS/BR
.
/ЙВ/
YV1949ES.115
115 BALKAN INSIDER - ROMANIA - FOREIGN WORKERS
Romania Doubles Foreign Worker Quota
In Bid to Solve
Workforce Shortage
Sofia, February 10 (Sofia Georgieva of BTA) - This year, Romania has decided to double the work permits for EU third country nationals in a bid to solve at least to a certain degree the shortage of workforce on the local labour market. Romanian companies may recruit up to 100,000 workers from countries outside the union, a record number double the figure last year, Romanian media note.
Over 100,000 people from countries outside the EU have come to work in Romania over the last ten years. An unqualified worker from Asia earns an average 500 euro a month, Digi TV said.
For the last summer season, hoteliers relied a lot on third country workers for a lack of an alternative on the domestic labour market, the President of the Federation of Hotel Industry in Romania, Calin Ile, told Agerpres agency.
The hotel industry is doing its best to raise salaries in the sector and become more attractive, particularly to those Romanians who have gone to work abroad.
Nearly five million Romanians live abroad and most of them have left in the quest for better remuneration.
Construction is another sector of the economy suffering from a severe shortage of workforce.
The President of the Association of Entrepreneurs, Christian Parvan, told Radio Free Europe that Romania has an ageing workforce and companies have to cope with the competition on the European market where many Romanians go to work.
"Whoever qualifies in Romania, leaves and heads West. Germany, for example, said it needs 400,000 workers a year. There are hundreds of Romanian enterprises who have no one to work with," Parvan pointed out, as quoted by Free Europe.
Romanian companies recruit workers mainly from Asia, from India, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
Parvan explains that with the serious competition on the European market. "Why would an Ukrainian come to Romania instead of going to Germany or Poland where the offers are better?" is the way he puts it.
Concelex construction company Executive Director Catalin Visan says he is expecting 70 Tajiks and 30 Pakistanis. Currently, nearly half of the company's 600 employees are foreigners.
The monthly costs per foreign worker reach 1,200 euro, including 600-700 euro salary and the employer's costs for accommodation and food.
Visan says he cannot find Romanian workers for the long term. If he succeeds in recruiting some, they stay a couple of days and then leave. He admits it is more attractive for them to go to Germany, where they are offered 3,000-3,500 euro.
In 2022 the number of employed in construction grew to 420,000 compared to 330,000 in 2021, data of the Romanian Association of Construction Contractors show. They also show that the costs for a foreign worker are higher than those for a Romanian worker.
Romanian Confederation of Licensed Operators and Transporters (COTAR) President Vasile Stefanscu says the transport sector is also looking for foreign workers. Over 100,000 drivers for the companies in Romania are wanted and even now there are drivers from Asia, particularly Sri Lanka, he explains.
The demand for foreign workers on the Romanian market was also high last year, in spite of the pandemic, Radio Free Europe noted. In January-August 2021, 6,518 companies requested certificates for workforce from abroad, compared to 4,135 in 2020.
At the same time, human resources companies say the recruitment of a foreign worker sometimes takes up to eight months because of red tape.
The average period of waiting depends on the country from which the workers come. For some, like Nepal, India and Bangladesh, there is a single embassy in New Delhi, which is understaffed. The issuance of a visa takes five months, experts say.
Labour Minister Marius Budai told Digi 24 TV that local business had demanded a higher quota of foreign workers for the Romanian market in 2022 so that it could develop its operation over the year. Talks were under way to complement the consular staff wherever necessary, but the restrictions imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic had also caused problems in that respect./DS/BR
.
/ЙВ/
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