Around 40 percent of Romania's high school graduates and three quarters of young women over 19 are inactive, found a recent study. Their main sources of information when finding a job are their families and friends. The lack of information about potential jobs is a problem especially for young people in rural areas.

Despite Romania's high agricultural potential, only 5 percent of young people earn money from agriculture, and around 30 percent of the youngsters who have jobs are in households with a high risk of poverty.

Most vulnerable categories on the labor market are young people without any qualifications, who canceled their studies, young people between 19 and 25, without any professional experience, young people over 25, young women between 23 and 28 and young Roma. Only 38 percent of Roma over 19 have jobs, compared to 60 percent of Hungarians and 50 percent for Romanians.

Illegal labor is one of the negative phenomena on the Romanian labor market, and around 11 percent of workers in Romania are in this situation, found the study issued by Romania's Labor Ministry.

When youngsters look for jobs, they are put off by tough work conditions and lower than expected salaries, according to the study, while most employers, in both the private and public sectors, believe the level of qualification of young people in rural areas is below the standard needed on the market.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: sxc.hu)