The tourism industry urgently needs 50,000 employees
Romanian hotels and restaurants need to hire over 50,000 people, and their owners are trying to bring in either Romanians from disadvantaged areas or foreigners from non-EU states.
For each category, investors are asking for state support, specifically to stop taxing employee transport and accommodation as salary income, on one hand, and on the other, to no longer require that foreigners be paid at least the average salary instead of the minimum wage.
Employer associations claim that if the state facilitated the hiring of these 50,000 people, it would gain over EUR 500 million per year from salary taxes alone.
Currently, about 450,000 people work directly or indirectly in the tourism industry (hotels and restaurants), and another 50,000 are needed, stated both Mohammad Murad, president of the Federation of Romanian Tourism Employers (FPTR), and Dragos Petrescu, president of HORA, the restaurant industry association, and owner of the City Grill restaurant chain.
The FPTR representative claims that, due to the lack of staff, 10% of the hotels and restaurants on the coast will not open this summer.
There are two solutions: Romanian employees from disadvantaged areas or foreigners from outside the EU.
On the other hand, the 7,000 foreign work permits granted annually for bringing in workers from non-EU countries are far from solving the problem, especially since the law requires a minimum salary of EUR 500 per month for these employees, which Romanian employers consider enormous.
Source: Capital
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the labor shortage in Romanian tourism?
The Romanian hotel and restaurant industry is currently facing a shortage of over 50,000 employees.
What solutions do tourism employer associations propose?
Employers suggest recruiting from disadvantaged areas or non-EU countries, while requesting tax exemptions for benefits and lower minimum wage requirements for foreigners.
How does the staff shortage affect the summer season?
Due to the lack of workforce, it is estimated that approximately 10% of seaside establishments will remain closed.