Nonetheless, the decline in employee numbers will not stop here, with new layoffs expected in the upcoming months on the decline the construction field coped with last year.
“There will definitely be further headcount reductions this winter,” said Laurentiu Plosceanu, president of the Romanian Association of Construction Companies (ARACO).
In late September 2014, Romania had around 4.4 million employees, compared with 4.7 million at the end of 2008, according to Labor Ministry data.
Around 300,000 jobs lost during the crisis still need to be recouped despite recent years’ massive hiring in the fields of outsourcing or IT.
During the boom years, constructions had become a growth driver for the local economy, contributing one third to GDP growth in 2008. Subsequently, though, the field not only lacked any contribution to GDP, but was rather a drag.
In 2014, the construction field posted a 10-15% decline, to EUR8.2-8.6 billion, according to ARACO data. The renewed drop came mainly amid the plummeting public investments.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)