More than half of Romanian employees anticipate a salary increase this year, according to a recent survey conducted by eJobs Romania. The findings indicate that 55% of respondents expect a pay raise at their current job, aligning with previous survey results that highlighted salary growth as a top professional goal for 2025.

However, according to the same source, 28% do not believe they will receive an increase, while 17% remain uncertain about their employer's plans.

Only 23% of employees report being satisfied or very satisfied with their current salary. Meanwhile, 38% are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied, and 39% hold a neutral stance. 

Among those confident in a raise, 34% cite company policy on annual salary increases, while 18% believe they are key employees whose employers will strive to retain them. Another 18% expect a raise due to strong performance in the previous year, and 15% plan to negotiate directly with their manager. However, only 10% have been officially informed that their salary will increase.

"The fact that half of the respondents are counting on a higher salary in 2025, but only 10% have been notified by managers in this regard leaves room for possible deviations from employees' initial plans. Companies remain cautious regarding salary increase policies for this year, especially if we look at areas such as construction, IT, agriculture, or the food industry, which were left without the tax facilities they had and for which salary costs have increased sharply," said Ana Călugăru, Head of Communications at eJobs Romania.

However, economic conditions have led employees to moderate their salary expectations. Thus, 35% estimate an increase of 5%-10% on the current salary, 24% - between 15% and 20%, 13% - between 15% and 20%, and 11% of a maximum of 5%. Meanwhile, 5% believe their salary will increase by at least 20%, 4% by over 30%, and just as many estimate an adjustment to the inflation rate. About 6% cannot make any predictions yet.

"There is, however, a difference between the increase thresholds they see and the minimum percentages they would consider satisfactory for their professional level and their monthly expenses. In this sense, for 32% the acceptable threshold would be between 10% and 15%, for 21% - between 5% and 10%, for 20% at least 20%, and for 16% - between 15% and 20%," said Ana Călugăru. 

If a salary increase is not possible, 18% of employees say a strong benefits package could serve as compensation, while 7% would accept this option only for a year. However, 45% firmly reject this idea, arguing that rising living costs necessitate salary adjustments.

Regarding salary review frequency, 55% of respondents received a raise last year. Meanwhile, 17% have not seen an increase in two years, 8% in over two years, and another 8% have had no salary growth in the past five years. A small share - 9% - received a raise this year, while 4% could not recall their last increase. 

The majority (65%) believe salary evaluations should occur annually and be adjusted based on performance.

The survey, conducted in February, gathered responses from 1,725 employees. 

Currently, over 22,000 job listings are available on eJobs.ro, Romania's largest online recruitment platform.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

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