Employee Sentiment in Romania 2023: Insights & Key Trends

Through the Employee Sentiment research, we gathered direct insights into the concerns, expectations, and plans of Romanian employees for 2023.

After two years shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022, and the uncertain economic context preceding this event, the Romanian labor market finds itself at the start of 2023 in an unprecedented situation.

While 2021–2022 saw the workforce transitioning back to the office or stabilising hybrid/remote work practices, in 2023, Romanian employees continue to face challenges both organisationally and personally.

Our Consumer Sentiment Study highlighted a key concern for Romanians in 2022’s challenging economic landscape: the level of individual and family income.

We dug deeper to uncover how this impacts the local workforce and found the top three drivers compelling employees to seek new opportunities:

A Higher Salary: Over 70% of employees prioritise better pay as their main reason to switch jobs.
Enhanced Benefits: 35% of employees value additional perks and rewards beyond their paycheck.
Job Security: Nearly 30% of employees crave a stable and secure workplace.

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Romanian Employees Experienced Workplace Stability in 2022

The majority of respondents (70%) believe they held a stable job in 2022, with professional development opportunities remaining largely unchanged over the past year for 6 out of 10 Romanian employees.

However, salary increases and additional benefits were rare exceptions. More than half of employees saw no changes in their salary package (52%) or benefits (63%) in the last 12 months. Only entry-level employees (Gen Z) and those with higher incomes reported any significant salary growth in 2022.

When it comes to workplace flexibility, most Romanian employees enjoyed similar levels of freedom to work from home or the office compared to the previous year. Yet, workload pressures have increased, with 4 out of 10 employees reporting higher demands.

This trend was especially evident among younger employees (Gen Z, Millennials) and those in lower-income brackets. Additionally, team sizes remained the same, leading to greater workloads for over 55% of respondents.

In this context, employee well-being took a hit. Higher workloads and team strain were especially felt by women and individuals with family responsibilities, such as children (53%) or dependents (45%).

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Romanians Show Optimism About Job Security in 2023

Over half (54%) of study participants believe they have no reason to worry about their job in 2023.

Expectations regarding job stability, however, vary significantly based on income level. Individuals with lower incomes are the most cautious about job security, with only 3 out of 10 considering their position to be stable.

Job Intentions at the Start of 2023

Nearly half of respondents (48%) say they don’t plan to leave their current job in the near future. However, job changes are more likely among Millennials and those with lower incomes.

Even without actively seeking new opportunities, employees would consider switching roles for:

A more competitive salary (74%)
Better additional benefits (35%)
Greater job security (28%)

For younger employees, Gen Z, Millennials, and high earners, career advancement opportunities with new employers outweigh concerns about job stability.

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Methodology of the Employee Sentiment Study

The data was extracted from the Employee Sentiment 2023 study, made by MKOR through withe the help of our own Consumer Panel.

Sample Size: N=530 respondents, nationally representative by gender, age, and geographic distribution
Target Audience: General population, aged 18–65
Research Method: Survey (CAWI)
Research Tool: Questionnaire
Approach: Online, through MKOR’s proprietary panel
Period: November 2022