One third of those are part of the best workforce segment of the market, as they are aged 25 to 35.
The data about people leaving for work abroad came from Tjobs, a company that provides solutions to those seeking employment abroad.
“Young people aged over 25 who want to leave the country for work are college graduates. The main reason they choose to leave is that they graduate with degrees that do not give them a job or with very few openings on the job market,” says Raluca Penes, HR coordinator with HR service outsourcing company Smartree Romania.
Some people choose to leave Romania, she says, despite finding a job that fits their profile, because it pays less than a similar job abroad.
At a salary of EUR1,000 in gross amount per month, Romania loses about EUR1 billion for the 90,000 people seeking to leave for work abroad to get a higher pay and a quality of life to match, despite the many job openings in retail and manufacturing in Romania. Salaries are four or five times lower in Romania, which is why local investors say they are unable to fill their staffing needs.
Young people choose to go and work as taxi or truck drivers, bartenders or waiters abroad, even if they have a college degree and could find a job in their specialty area in Romania.
Romania has one of the lowest average wages in the EU, only EUR464 per month, five times lower than the EU average of more than EUR2,300.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)