Owners of accommodation facilities, terraces, and restaurants on the Romanian seaside complain that they cannot find people to work with this summer. They point out that they are facing the largest personnel crisis in the last 30 years.
According to the Federation of Romanian Tourism Employers (FPTR), there is currently a need for approximately 25,000 employees, mostly seasonal, for the seaside resorts.
“It is the largest labor crisis since the Revolution. Those who worked in tourism, due to the ‘shell game’ of closing and opening units, have left for other sectors, such as retail, production, or have left the country,” stated Dragos Raducan, FPTR vice president.
Raducan says that on the coast, 60% of workers are seasonal, but this year no one wants to come to work anymore.
Although they are paid better, owners say, seasonal employees work just as poorly as in previous years; they are untrained but have increasingly higher demands.
Dragos Raducan points out that the salary for an unskilled person is at least 1,800 RON/month. This increases exponentially depending on the type of work and experience. Nor is appealing to labor brought from non-EU areas a solution, businessmen say, because only large commercial companies with permanent activity can handle the requirements and costs involved in bringing employees from abroad.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current labor shortage in Romanian seaside tourism?According to FPTR, seaside resorts currently face a deficit of approximately 25,000 employees, most of whom are needed for seasonal positions.
Why have workers left the tourism industry?Due to the instability of repeated openings and closures, many workers migrated to more stable sectors like retail and manufacturing or moved abroad.
Can non-EU labor solve the shortage for all businesses?No, business owners state that only large companies with permanent operations can afford the high costs and complex requirements of hiring foreign workers.