Almost 20% of Romanian employers anticipate an increase in their staffing levels in the fourth quarter of the year, while 11% foresee a decrease, and 67% do not intend any changes, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.

The +16% seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook is the strongest reported in Romania since the fourth quarter of 2008 and shows a 4 percentage points improvement over the current quarter, and an 8 percentage points increase year-on-year. Employers in Romania report the most optimistic hiring intentions in the EMEA region in the fourth quarter of 2015, the survey shows.

"The fact that national Outlooks have been trending stronger for the past two years and are at their most solid since 2008 signals that this continued hiring momentum is sustainable and job creation could come about at a rate closer to what job-seekers in Romania need,“ says ManpowerGroup Romania’s Country Manager Valentin Petrof.

Employers in manufacturing continue to be the country’s most optimistic, reporting a Net Employment Outlook of +25%. This is 5 percentage points stronger than in Q3, and 13 percentage points higher year-on-year.

Employers in the wholesale and retail sector registered the most notable quarter-on-quarter improvement, as the +20% Net Employment Outlook strengthened by 12 percentage points over the third quarter. Employers in the construction sector had the largest year-on-year improvement, the +18% Outlook being 21 percentage points stronger than in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Forecasts in the electricity, gas & water supply sector continue to be negative, as they have been for the past five quarters, the study shows.

In regional terms, workforce levels are expected to grow in all eight of the country’s regions. The most upbeat hiring plans are reported by employers in the Center and North-West regions, where the Net Employment Outlooks stand at +14%.

Moreover, hiring plans are positive across organizations of all sizes, with large organizations (over 250 employees) expressing the most confidence, while micro-employers, with up to 10 employees, report the most cautious hiring plans.

Romania’s unemployment rate remains unchanged

Over 220,000 people find jobs via Romania’s National Employment Program

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com