In a surprising turn of events, 2021 emerged as a banner year for the online recruitment market in Romania, marking a significant uptick in job seekers. The Recruitment Website Index highlighted this phenomenon, revealing that a staggering 2.85 million Romanians actively sought employment opportunities throughout the year.
Economic Recovery Fuels Job Market Surge
Theodor Filoș, OLX Business Manager, attributes this surge to Romania ‘s robust economic recovery, luring more employers into the recruitment market. The latter half of the year witnessed a formidable comeback by employers across all sectors.
Job Index Unveils Rapid Growth
The Job Index for 2021 illustrates a rapid increase in the number of jobs. Despite a slower start in the initial months, a substantial uptrend began in March. Nationally, job postings escalated by 37%, culminating in over 740,000 recruitment offers.
Changing Dynamics in Online Recruitment
Contrary to previous years, Romanians exhibited a slightly diminished interest in job opportunities (-5%) despite an increase in job postings. However, candidates displayed heightened determination, reducing the average employment time by 5 days compared to 2020. Notably, while blue-collar jobs continued to dominate, there was a significant 30% increase in the gray collar segment.
Key Trends and Sought-After Professions
2021 saw a monthly influx of 60,000 new job postings. “Production workers – Warehouse – Logistics” emerged as the most sought-after category, indicating a severe staff shortage. This field witnessed a remarkable 112% increase in job offers compared to 2020.
Shift in Dominance: Top Job Categories
For the first time, “Production workers – Warehouse – Logistics” claimed the top spot among job categories, dethroning “Engineers – Craftsmen – Builders.” Despite losing its top position, the latter category maintained a steady number of job vacancies over the last two years. The “Drivers – Car Services – Courier” category experienced a notable 69% growth in job postings.
Driver Jobs Dominate Applications
In terms of unique applications, the “Drivers – Car Services – Courier” category took the lead with over 542,000 Romanians vying for these positions. “Cashiers – Commercial Workers” and “Hotel Staff – Restaurant” followed closely, with approximately 307,000 and 300,000 unique candidates, respectively.
Supporting Ukrainian Refugees: Employment Opportunities
In a compassionate move, the platform extended support to Ukrainian citizens by providing thousands of employment opportunities. Key sectors with the most job offers for Ukrainian refugees include “Hotel staff – restaurant,” “Engineers – Tradesmen – Builders,” and “Drivers – Car services – Courier.”
City-wise Breakdown for Ukrainian Refugees
Bucharest topped the list among cities with the most job postings for Ukrainian refugees, with 3,533 offers. Cluj-Napoca and Iasi secured the following positions, with 1,121 and 858 jobs, respectively. This concerted effort aims to ease the integration of Ukrainian refugees into the Romanian job market.
