Romania is doubling down on foreign labor as structural workforce shortages continue to weigh on key sectors of the economy. The government has approved a quota of 90,000 newly admitted foreign workers for 2026, a move aimed at easing persistent recruitment bottlenecks reported by employers nationwide.
According to official data, the most acute labor gaps are found in courier and logistics services, where over 26,000 positions remain unfilled. Warehousing and goods handling follow closely, with more than 20,900 vacancies, while construction-related roles dominate the rest of the list.
Unskilled workers involved in demolition, masonry, tiling and finishing works account for over 20,400 positions, while building construction workers represent nearly 17,800 vacancies. Retail trade is also under pressure, with more than 16,200 open roles for sales assistants.
Transport and food services continue to rely heavily on foreign labor as well. Employers reported shortages of drivers for cars and vans (12,237), assistant cooks (12,077) and freight transport drivers (11,135).
2025 permits trail behind last year’s levels
By September 30, 2025, Romanian authorities had issued 83,914 employment and secondment permits for foreign workers, with an additional 7,418 applications still under review, according to the General Inspectorate for Immigration. By comparison, 105,977 permits were issued throughout 2024.
Residence permits tell a similar story. Temporary residence permits for employment reached 61,954 in 2025, significantly lower than the 110,365 issued in 2024. Permits for secondment fell even more sharply, from 339 last year to just 156 in 2025.
Tens of thousands of work visas approved
Data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows that by September 26, 2025, Romania had issued 42,544 long-stay work visas to foreign nationals planning to enter the country for employment. At the same time, 9,851 visa applications were rejected, while 272 visas were annulled or revoked. Another 4,648 applications remain under review.
Non-EU workers increasingly vital to Romania’s economy
According to the Labor Inspection, between January 1 and September 25, 2025, employers signed 73,213 new individual employment contracts with workers from outside the European Union. In 2024, the total number of such contracts reached 98,966, confirming a clear upward trend over recent years.
