The jobs in Romania facing the clearest worker shortages are road transport drivers, couriers, warehouse goods handlers, construction labourers and building trades, factory assembly workers, shop and retail staff, security guards, cleaners, kitchen and restaurant staff, and, at the skilled end, doctors, nurses, engineers and software specialists. This picture of labour shortages in Romania comes from three official sources that measure demand in different ways: the weekly vacancy bulletins of the National Agency for Employment (ANOFM), the quarterly job vacancy survey of the National Institute of Statistics (INS), and the shortage assessments Romania reports to the EU's EURES network. Romania has also replaced its old IGI work authorisation system with a single online platform, WorkinRomania.gov.ro, under which most ordinary jobs for workers from outside the EU are tied to an official list of shortage occupations. A court has suspended the order approving that list, so the shortage based route is currently on hold. This guide explains which occupations and sectors show demand, how to read the data, how the shortage list and the annual quota fit in, and why a shortage on paper never guarantees a job, a visa or a permit.

Romania worker shortages at a glance

Labour shortages in Romania are concentrated in two very different parts of the job market. The first is a large block of practical, often entry level roles where employers need many hands: driving, delivery, loading and unloading, building sites, assembly lines, cleaning, security and retail. These jobs dominate the vacancy lists that employers file with the public employment service, and most of them require vocational training or no formal qualification at all. The second block is smaller in volume but harder to fill: medical doctors, nurses, engineers, ICT professionals and other university educated specialists.

Romania has one of the lowest job vacancy rates in the EU, which can seem to contradict talk of shortages. The explanation is that many vacancies are filled slowly rather than left open, that large numbers of Romanians work in other EU countries, and that shortages are uneven: severe in some occupations and regions, absent in others. At the same time, the European Labour Authority's EURES report on labour shortages and surpluses lists Romania among the countries reporting the highest number of shortage occupations, with 170 occupations flagged, and groups it with countries that show many shortages and relatively few surpluses.

The sectors where demand appears across official sources are transport and logistics, construction, manufacturing, retail and services, hospitality, health and care, and skilled professions such as engineering and ICT. Each is covered in detail below.

How labour shortages in Romania are measured

Romania now has a legal shortage occupation list, covered in its own section below, but it is a policy tool and is currently suspended. To see where demand actually lies, read the statistical sources together, as each has blind spots.

ANOFM vacancy bulletins

The National Agency for Employment publishes a weekly press release on vacancies at national level and in the EURES network. The figures are the vacancies that employers have declared to the county employment agencies (AJOFM). ANOFM describes its database as dynamic and updated in real time according to the jobs employers declare, how long the offers remain valid and how many referrals for employment the agencies issue. Each bulletin lists the occupations with the most vacancies and groups openings by the level of education required.

Its strength is detail: it names occupations and gives counts. Its weakness is coverage, because the vacancies declared there lean towards lower skilled roles, and specialist posts are under represented.

INS quarterly job vacancy survey

The National Institute of Statistics runs a quarterly survey of employers that produces the official number of vacant jobs and the job vacancy rate, broken down by economic activity and by major occupational group. The rate is the ratio of vacant jobs to the total number of jobs, occupied and vacant, excluding posts that are blocked or reserved only for internal promotion. This is the figure Romania sends to Eurostat, so it is comparable with other EU countries.

The survey shows patterns that recur from quarter to quarter. One second quarter INS release found that manufacturing held the largest number of vacant jobs, close to a fifth of the total, while the highest vacancy rates were in electricity, heat and gas supply, public administration, and arts, culture and recreation. By occupational group, specialists in various fields had the most vacancies, followed by service workers and skilled trades workers. The national vacancy rate was well under one per cent. INS publishes a new release every quarter.

EURES shortage and surplus assessments

Every year the EURES national coordination office for Romania assesses each four digit occupation in the international ISCO classification and reports whether it is in shortage, in surplus or in balance. The European Labour Authority compiles these national returns into an EU wide report. Its main source is administrative data from public employment services, often the ratio of vacancies to jobseekers in each occupation. Each country chooses its own method, so the report warns against direct comparisons between countries.

The same report notes that only two EURES countries, Hungary and Romania, publish vacancy data by occupation, and only at the broadest one digit level. For the group of professionals, a pilot analysis found shortages in most occupations in Romania, with ICT professionals showing the most severe shortage. Teaching professionals were the exception, with supply well above demand. Health professionals were in shortage when only active workers were counted, but in balance when people who could potentially return to work were included.

EURES labour market information pages

The EURES labour market information page for Romania summarises national and regional shortage and surplus occupations, drawing on ANOFM data. At national level it identifies building and related trades workers, stationary plant and machine operators, and business and administration associate professionals as shortage groups, while some science, engineering, legal, social and cultural professions show surpluses. The regional lists, covered below, are especially useful because demand in Romania differs sharply between regions.

What ANOFM vacancy data shows about jobs in demand

The weekly ANOFM bulletins are the most direct public view of the specific jobs employers are trying to fill. In recent bulletins the national total has stood at roughly 30,000 declared vacancies. The figures move weekly, so treat any single number as a snapshot.

One autumn ANOFM national vacancy bulletin listed 30,677 vacancies and named the ten occupations with the most openings:

1. Road transport driver (conducător auto transport rutier): 3,625
2. Retail worker (lucrător comercial): 1,611
3. Goods handler (manipulant mărfuri): 1,388
4. Unskilled worker in building demolition, masonry lining, mosaic, tiling and parquet work: 1,346
5. Security guard (agent de securitate): 1,140
6. Unskilled worker in the assembly and fitting of parts: 994
7. Courier (curier): 993
8. Unskilled worker in breaking and cutting construction materials: 655
9. Subassembly fitter (montator subansamble): 638
10. Cleaner of buildings and means of transport (agent curățenie clădiri și mijloace de transport): 552

Earlier bulletins show the same occupations near the top: driving, delivery, handling, construction labour and assembly work recur week after week.

Vacancies by education level

ANOFM also groups vacancies by the education they require. In the autumn bulletin cited above:

• No formal education, primary or lower secondary: 16,296 vacancies, more than half of the total. Typical roles were goods handlers, unskilled construction and demolition workers, couriers and unskilled assembly workers.
• Vocational training: 6,468 vacancies, including road transport drivers, welders, retail workers, CNC machine tool operators and mechanical fitters (lăcătuș mecanic).
• Upper secondary or post secondary: 5,991 vacancies, including security guards, general nurses (asistent medical generalist), sales agents, customer service agents and personal assistants for people with severe disabilities.
• Higher education: 1,922 vacancies, including engineers in various fields, managers, economists and advisers, medical doctors in various specialities and other specialists.

The split shows that the public employment service mostly sees manual and entry level demand. Skilled roles are not easy to fill: employers in health, technology and engineering usually recruit through their own channels, and the INS and EURES data show significant shortages among professionals.

ANOFM bulletins do not publish pay for these vacancies. Any salary figure you see attached to a shortage job comes from the individual employer and should be confirmed in writing, with a clear statement of whether it is gross (before income tax and social contributions) or net (take home pay). Romania's national gross minimum wage is set by government decision and revised periodically, and employers of foreign workers must respect it like any other employer; our separate guide on employers hiring foreign workers explains their pay obligations.

Shortage occupations in Romania by sector

Combining the ANOFM, INS and EURES evidence, these sectors show persistent demand, each with its own practical barriers.

Construction and building trades

Construction is the sector named most consistently across all sources. EURES lists building and related trades workers as a national shortage group, and the regional lists add construction labourers, bricklayers, concrete placers, carpenters, plasterers, insulation workers, painters, plumbers, floor layers, welders and structural metal workers. In the ANOFM bulletins, unskilled construction and demolition labour regularly takes two of the top ten places.

Many construction vacancies require no formal qualification, but employers value proven trade experience, and skilled roles such as welding may require recognised certification. Expect safety induction training on site.

Transport, logistics and delivery

Road transport drivers top the ANOFM vacancy list more often than any other occupation, and heavy truck drivers appear on the EURES shortage lists in almost every region. Couriers, delivery drivers, car and van drivers and goods handlers in warehouses are also in strong demand, reflecting growth in distribution and online retail.

For driving jobs, the shortage is real but the entry requirements are strict. A professional driver needs a driving licence valid in Romania for the right category, the professional competence certificate with the code 95 entry for commercial driving, and, in many cases, a certificate of professional competence (atestat profesional) issued through the Romanian Road Authority (ARR). A licence issued outside the EU usually has to be exchanged or a Romanian licence obtained. These rules are separate from immigration rules. Our separate guides on foreign truck driving licences and foreign bus drivers cover licence exchange, categories C and D, the atestat profesional and code 95 in detail. Warehouse and courier roles have fewer formal barriers.

Manufacturing and assembly

Manufacturing is the largest single source of vacancies in the INS survey, and EURES lists stationary plant and machine operators as a national shortage group. The ANOFM bulletins regularly feature unskilled assembly workers, subassembly fitters, CNC machine tool operators and mechanical fitters. Regional lists mention mechanical machinery assemblers, metal machine tool setters and sewing machine operators.

Factory roles cluster in the industrial west, centre and north west and often involve shift work. Entry level assembly needs no qualification, while CNC operation and machine setting call for training or experience.

Retail, security and cleaning

Shop sales staff, security guards and cleaners appear in the ANOFM top ten and on most regional EURES shortage lists.

They carry hidden requirements. Customer facing retail work usually needs functional Romanian, and security work is a regulated activity that generally requires a recognised qualification and background checks. Our separate guide on the Romanian language explains where language skills are legally required.

Hospitality and food service

Waiters, kitchen assistants, fast food preparers and hotel service staff appear on several regional EURES shortage lists, notably in Bucharest and Ilfov, the Centre region and the South East, which includes the Black Sea coast. ANOFM bulletins regularly include kitchen assistant (ajutor bucătar) roles among the vacancies requiring little formal education.

Demand is partly seasonal at the coast and in mountain resorts, but not every summer job counts as seasonal work under immigration rules; our separate guide on seasonal work explains why.

Health and care

Doctors in various specialities and general nurses appear in the ANOFM bulletins, and health professionals are counted as a shortage group when only active workers are considered. Personal assistants for people with severe disabilities also appear among vacancies requiring secondary education.

Health care is a regulated field. Doctors, nurses and other health professionals need recognition of their qualifications and registration with the relevant Romanian professional body before they can practise, and qualifications from outside the EU face a longer recognition route. Language skills are essential for patient care. The care picture is mixed: the EURES regional lists show home based personal care workers as a surplus occupation in several regions, so care demand depends heavily on the type of role and the employer.

IT and engineering specialists

ICT professionals show the most severe shortage among professionals in the EURES pilot analysis, and software developers appear on the Bucharest and Ilfov shortage list. Engineers in various fields feature among the ANOFM vacancies for graduates.

Highly qualified workers come under the D/AM1 visa route, which does not depend on the shortage list and is therefore not affected by its suspension. The EU Blue Card has its own salary and qualification conditions. Our separate guide on applying for a work permit covers the Blue Card conditions.

Agriculture and seasonal work

Agriculture is often assumed to be a shortage sector, but the official data is more nuanced. The EURES regional lists show mixed crop and livestock labourers and field crop and vegetable growers as surplus occupations in most regions, and under the previous system IGI issued only a small number of seasonal work authorisations. Seasonal work now falls under the D/AM2 route, which requires the occupation to be on the suspended shortage list.

Regional differences in jobs across Romania

Where you look for work makes a large difference. The EURES regional lists, based on ANOFM data, show that unemployment and labour demand vary considerably across Romania's eight development regions.

• Bucharest and Ilfov: the tightest labour market and the widest range of shortages, from couriers, goods handlers, construction trades and security guards to waiters, hotel staff, welders and software developers.
• West: low unemployment and demand for manufacturing labourers, construction labourers, machine tool operators, goods handlers and retail staff, with an industrial base around Timișoara and Arad.
• North West: demand for construction labourers, heavy truck drivers, couriers, building caretakers, fast food preparers, security guards, mechanical assemblers and building electricians, centred on Cluj and surrounding counties.
• Centre: construction trades, retail staff, cleaners, cabinet makers, waiters, assemblers, plumbers and truck drivers.
• South East: higher unemployment but shortages in construction trades, welding, waiting staff, delivery and driving, linked partly to the port of Constanța and the coast.
• North East, South Muntenia and South West Oltenia: higher unemployment overall, with shortages more concentrated in truck driving, goods handling, security, retail and some manufacturing roles such as sewing machine operation and welding.

The regional lists on the EURES page are not dated precisely and are updated periodically, so use them as a guide to structural patterns rather than a current vacancy count. ANOFM also links to the 42 county employment agencies, each of which publishes its own vacancy bulletins.

The official list of shortage occupations in Romania

Under the Government Emergency Ordinance on foreigners' access to the Romanian labour market, shortages now have direct legal effect. According to the WorkinRomania guide to visas and residence, permanent, seasonal and cross border workers can be hired on a D/AM2 visa only if their occupation is on the list of shortage occupations (Lista ocupațiilor deficitare). Highly qualified workers and other D/AM1 categories are not subject to this condition.

How the shortage list is drawn up

The shortage occupation list on WorkinRomania is approved by order of the Minister of Labour, following a methodology also approved by order and using information from ANOFM, the Labour Inspectorate, IGI and consultation with social partners. It is published in the Official Gazette and revised every six months or whenever needed. Each occupation is identified by its code in the Romanian classification of occupations (COR). The Ministry of Labour has put a draft amendment to the methodology out for consultation; until adopted it is only a proposal.

The list runs to several pages. Its first page, in alphabetical order, includes commercial and sales agents, customer service agents, cleaners of buildings and means of transport, couriers, farmers, kitchen assistants, assistant waiters, bar staff and baristas, hand packers, asphalt workers, concrete placers, bakers, cooks and chefs. Many match the ANOFM vacancy data, but do not assume that a job in the statistics is on the list: check its COR code against the full list.

Court suspension of the shortage list

The WorkinRomania platform states that the Bucharest Court of Appeal has suspended enforcement of the ministerial order approving the shortage occupation list. As a result, the platform flows for employer registration, employer authorisation and the single application (cererea unică) for D/AM2 visas are disabled. In practice, new hiring of permanent, seasonal and cross border workers through the D/AM2 route cannot currently start on the platform. Check the platform home page for changes, as the outcome depends on the court proceedings.

Workers already in Romania are affected too. An IGI notice on change of employer applications says some single applications to extend residence for work after a change of employer, for the D/AM2 category, cannot currently be sent through the platform. IGI will analyse them individually once transmission resumes, taking into account an employer's objective inability to register. Our separate guide on changing employers on a work permit covers this.

The annual quota for foreign workers in Romania

Romania also sets an annual quota of newly admitted workers from outside the EU (contingentul anual) by government decision. The WorkinRomania guidance still lists respect for the annual quota among the checks authorities carry out, for D/AM1 only where applicable, but does not explain how it interacts with the shortage list. Check the decision in force on the official legislation portal.

Under the previous system the quota was a clear signal of demand. IGI reported that authorisations in one period reached 84.3 per cent of the quota by the end of October, which corresponds to 100,000 places, and then announced the quota exhausted on 10 December, weeks before year end. For the following period the Ministry of Labour announced a quota of 90,000 newly admitted workers.

The previous work authorisation system

Before the reform, a Romanian employer obtained a work authorisation (aviz de muncă) from IGI for a named worker, and the worker then applied for a D/AM visa. An ANOFM county agency release on the platform confirms that applications filed after the platform's launch can no longer be handled under the old procedure. County employment agencies now keep a labour market role only for highly qualified workers, issuing a certificate on the available workforce for the vacancy, valid for 90 days.

What work authorisation figures reveal about demand

IGI's statistics from the previous system show who employers actually recruited from outside the EU. In the IGI report on work authorisations issued in four months, 42,371 of the 42,705 issued from the quota were for permanent workers, against 171 for seasonal workers and 97 for highly qualified workers. Recruitment from abroad was driven by the practical roles described above, which is why the D/AM2 suspension matters so much.

The foreign workforce is now substantial and concentrated in a few countries of origin. An IGI release on foreigners with valid residence documents counted more than 242,000 foreign nationals with valid residence rights in Romania, of whom more than 161,000 held residence for employment. The leading countries for employment were Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, Turkey, Bangladesh, Egypt and Pakistan.

Foreign workers also move between employers: the same release reported more than 5,000 authorisations for changing employer in just over two months, led by Bucharest, Ilfov, Constanța and Timiș.

Why demand does not mean eligibility

Even with a legal shortage list, a job in demand gives no right to work in Romania, and the foreign worker cannot file the application. Under WorkinRomania, the employer registers on the platform and publishes a firm job offer. For D/AM1 the employer files the single application. For D/AM2 the employer contracts an authorised placement agency, which recruits the worker under a three party placement contract and files the application, or an authorised employer files it directly. After the authorities' checks, the worker applies for the visa at a Romanian consulate and, after arrival, for a residence permit from IGI. Our separate guide on applying for a work permit explains each step.

Several conditions apply regardless of demand:

• The route must be open. D/AM2 applications are disabled while the shortage list is suspended.
• The occupation must be on the list for D/AM2 workers.
• The employer must be registered on the platform and, for D/AM2 direct filing, authorised.
• The annual quota must be respected where it applies.
• The worker must meet the job's own requirements, such as a driving licence and professional certificates or recognised qualifications for regulated professions.
• The visa and permit are separate decisions by the consulate and IGI.

D/AM1 covers highly qualified workers and listed categories such as teachers, scientists and artists, professional athletes, and citizens of Moldova, Ukraine and Serbia employed full time. Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland work freely and only register their residence.

Romania is a full Schengen member, but a short stay visa or visa free entry does not give the right to work. Working without the correct authorisation and permit exposes both worker and employer to penalties.

How to check whether a shortage job in Romania suits you

Use the official data to target your search, then check the fit.

1. Match your skills to the data. Compare your experience with the occupations at the top of the ANOFM bulletins and the EURES shortage lists for the region you are considering. Note the Romanian occupation title, because employers and official documents use the national classification of occupations (COR).
2. Check the formal requirements. Find out whether the job needs a licence, certificate or recognised qualification in Romania. Professional driving, security work and health care all have specific rules. Diploma recognition for academic qualifications is handled by the National Centre for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas (CNRED).
3. Assess the language need. Factory, construction, warehouse and cleaning work can sometimes be done with limited Romanian, but customer facing, health and supervisory roles usually require it.
4. Look at official vacancy sources. The ANOFM vacancy database and the county employment agencies list jobs declared by employers, and the EURES portal carries vacancies from across Europe. Our separate guide on finding a job in Romania from outside the EU covers job search channels, checking employers in the trade register and avoiding scams.
5. Confirm the route. Ask whether the employer is registered on WorkinRomania, which visa applies to you, and, for D/AM2, whether your COR code is on the list and the route has reopened.
6. Get the terms in writing. Before you travel, obtain a written job offer stating the role, the place of work, working hours, whether pay is gross or net, and who pays for accommodation, travel and permit costs.

Risks behind high demand for foreign workers

Strong demand has created a market of intermediaries, and a shortage occupation is a common hook in misleading offers. No one can guarantee a visa or permit, and an offer promising a D/AM2 visa while the route is suspended should be treated with caution. Placement agencies must be authorised through the platform, so check before paying anything and ask what any charge covers. The job in your application and contract should match the job you actually do. The Labour Inspectorate (Inspecția Muncii) handles complaints about undeclared work and unpaid wages. Our separate guide on finding a job in Romania from outside the EU explains how to check recruitment agencies and employers.

Where to follow Romania labour shortage data over time

Shortages shift with the economy and the seasons, so check the official sources directly.

• ANOFM weekly bulletins on the ANOFM press release page, plus the monthly registered unemployment rate, which one recent release put at 3.20 per cent nationally.
• County employment agency bulletins for a specific city or region.
• The INS quarterly vacancy survey for rates by sector and occupational group.
• EURES labour market pages and the annual EU shortages report.
• WorkinRomania and IGI notices on the shortage list, the suspension and the quota.

ANOFM shows declared vacancies, INS a survey estimate and EURES an assessment. Only the shortage list has legal effect, and none of them is a job offer.

Sources and References

• National vacancy bulletin with top occupations, ANOFM
• Registered unemployment rate release, ANOFM
• Press releases, ANOFM
• Vacancy database, ANOFM
• Quarterly job vacancy survey release, INS
• Labour market information for Romania, EURES
• EURES report on labour shortages and surpluses, European Labour Authority
• WorkinRomania platform and suspension notice, Government of Romania
• Visas and residence, WorkinRomania
• List of shortage occupations, WorkinRomania
• Notice on change of employer applications, IGI
• Press release on the WorkinRomania platform, AJOFM Timiș
• Annual quota of foreign workers exhausted, IGI
• Quota more than 80 per cent used, IGI
• Work authorisations issued in four months, IGI
• Foreigners with valid documents and labour mobility, IGI
• Government approval of the annual quota, Ministry of Labour
• Legislation portal, Ministry of Justice