Romanian Job Market Warming Up – Manpower Survey

The survey analyses hiring activity in the second quarter and was carried out on a sample of almost 61,000 employers in the public and private sectors of 36 countries. In Romania, 750 employers were questioned.

Manpower Romania general manager Camelia Stanculescu said in a press release that results show a slight improvement regarding hiring prospects for the second quarter. According to the study, 64% of employers said they would keep the number of employees constant, six percentage points more than in the previous quarter, „encouraging both for employers and job seekers.”

Also, 14% of employers expect to recruit new people in the next quarter, while 21% anticipate they will hire fewer people.

The net prediction for April-June relevant Romania is -7%, a level similar to the one reported in May 2009, which concerns recruitment plans for the next three months. The indicator is computed as the difference between the share of employers who expect an increase in hiring and that of employers who anticipate lower hiring or even layoffs.

According to the study, hiring prospects in eight of the ten analyzed industry sectors are negative. Most are announced by employers in the fields of construction and transports, storage and communications. Poor hiring prospects are also reported by employers in energy, gas and water and by those in the hotel and restaurant industries. Still, firms in wholesale and retail announced they may offer hiring opportunities.

Stanculescu explained the first part of the year is always a period of uncertainty for employer and most are cautious about their hiring plans, even in times of prosperity.

„Employers know the market will recover eventually, so they are waiting for signs of stability before going forward and growing their staff again. Once these slightly optimistic signs have been confirmed in the next quarter, employers will react quickly to the market’s evolution,” Manpower’s general manager said.

The Manpower group provides recruitment, professional training, outsourcing and consultancy services in the field of human resources. With a worldwide network of 4,000 offices in 82 countries, Manpower has 400,000 clients in all sectors.

Manpower’s presence in Romania started in 2003. At present, the firm has nine branches in Bucharest, Timisoara, Brasov, Cluj-Napoca, Iasi, Craiova and Ploiesti.