Romania’s Demand For Filipino Nannies Grew 40% In 1Q, Compared To 2009

The flood of Filipino household staff in Romania started three-four years ago, when high-income people adopted this solution because of the low availability of qualified work, recruitment firm Perfect Connections Associations said in a press release Wednesday.

„Compared to 2009, demand for Filipino household staff increased this year for all qualification fields (nannies, housekeeping, care for the elderly, gardening etc.) but figures show nannies and housekeepers remain in the highest demand, accounting for more than 80% of the number of hirings this year,” says Tiana Perfect, managing partner with Perfect Connections Associates.

Specialists say the Filipino nanny market „exploded” in 2010, given the high number of pending requests filed in the first quarter.

A Filipino nanny earns between EUR300 and EUR500 every month, depending on her duties and qualifications. The selection and assignment process takes between three and six months, depending on the time it takes in each instance to obtain the paperwork and authorizations a person needs to apply for a job in Romania. Work contracts are signed for at least two years.

„As regards costs, this entails an initial EUR3,500 tax on the employing parents, which pays for all the necessary stages from the point the parents start looking for a right person to the moment the nanny obtains a work permit, plus the other steps taken after the Filipino employee arrives in Romania,” says the press release.

According to the cited source, candidates for nanny positions are selected following strict criteria, including recruitment interviews carried out in the Philippines.

„Romanian families are very demanding and so are we as a company in this field, so only about 20% of applicants end up being selected, which is one of the reasons why the whole process takes so long,” says the press release.

After selection, upon arriving in Romania, the nannies go through a ten-day training period, which covers Romanian customs, cultural differences and specific educational features, to make it easier for them to adapt to the new work and living environment. Medical tests required for employment are also carried out again.

The company estimates the demand for Filipino household staff will continue rising at its current pace, but will go through a new leap forward in 2011.

Romanian MEP Daciana Sarbu, the wife of Romanian Social Democratic Party president Victor Ponta, hired a Filipino nanny for their daughter. Ponta said that the nanny’s nationality makes it harder for tabloids to keep tabs on his family.