There were 4.37 million employees in the economy at the end of September, 66,100 more than at the beginning of the year and most of the new employees were hired by companies providing support operations, by farming businesses or hotels and restaurants. The rate of hiring was significantly lower compared with January-September 2012, when the number of employees had gone up by almost 150,000.
While some were hired, others were fired, and the unemployment rate started to increase again in the fall, after having dropped in the spring and the summer.
The unemployment rate calculated by the National Statistics Institute in accordance with the International Labor Organization standards was 7.5% in September compared with 7% in January 2013, while the rate registered by the employment agencies stood at 5.7% in October, compared with 6.2% in January and 5% in September.
“I have noticed that this year, indeed, started with an upward trend of hiring, which roughly continued throughout the year. Demand slowed down in the summer, but not much,” says Oana Datki, managing partner for SE Europe of human resources consultant Consulteam.
“Experts have been and are still in high demand and retail and manufacturing will generate most job offers towards the end of the year.”
She added personnel turnover is very high in the hotel and restaurant sector, hence the greater demand for staff at certain times.
Romanian employees did not feel much of a wage increase in the first nine months of 2013. Average net wage reached 1,609 lei (EUR361) at the end of September, 4.6% higher than in the year-ago period, which means the raises, largely driven by the increase in the gross minimum wage from RON700 to RON800 per month, barely covered the inflation (4.47% on average in 2013). (EUR1=RON4.4449)
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)