Romania ranks 89th in the top of the most attractive professional relocation destinations, rising in the ranking compared to 2020, when it was in 92nd place, but below the rating of 2018, when it reached position 78.
Bucharest, on the other hand, obtains a lower score than the national level, being placed in 118th place, according to the annual study conducted by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), The Network, The Stepstone Group and eJobs.ro.
Candidates who would be most tempted to accept a job offer from Romania are those from Pakistan, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary and Austria, followed by those from Tunisia, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Serbia and Ireland.
"When asked what the reasons would be for choosing Romania, 52% put in first place the quality of life, the fact that there is a family-friendly environment (49%), the number and type of jobs put on the market by employers (47%), the cost of living (40%), the hospitable spirit and inclusive culture (38%), the fact that it is a country where they would feel safe (34%), but also the fact that the formalities to access the Romanian labor market are less complicated than for other countries. However, we are missing arguments such as quality of life or the existence of a health system they can trust, reasons that are found, however, in the list of those who would like to emigrate, in general, not only to Romania", explains Roxana Drăghici, Head of Sales at eJobs.ro, the Network's partner in Romania.
Why do Romanians choose to make a professional relocation?
On the other hand, the reasons that determine Romanians to make a professional relocation are related to the economic context and the fact that they want WAGES higher, as claimed by 85% of the respondents. The list of arguments continues with the better career prospects they believe they would have in another country (48%), a better quality of life in general (77%), the number and type of jobs put on the market by foreign employers (50%), but also access to a different cultural environment (43%).
"Those who postpone the decision to leave the country or simply refuse this option say that they are kept here by the fact that they would be separated from their family, by the attachment they have to their home and the fear that they would not be able to adapt, but also by the high costs that a relocation would entail. Romanians are also afraid of the language barrier, cultural differences and, because we are a nation that would rather buy a home than rent, they are discouraged by the fact that it would be quite difficult for them to make a real estate purchase," says Roxana Drăghici.
These arguments must also be correlated with the fact that 311% of Romanian candidates who would be willing to go abroad would do so for a long period of time. Only 81% would aim for a shorter experience, of no more than one year. The countries to which most Romanian candidates are heading are Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, the USA, France, the Netherlands and Austria.
Since the beginning of the year and until now, of the almost 100,000 jobs posted on eJobs.ro, approximately 9,000 were for abroad. For these, 55,000 applications were registered, respectively 1.4% of the total number of applications for the period January - May 2024. "The study conducted at the end of last year together with the Boston Consulting Group also shows that, at the country level, 23% of the research participants were willing to go to work abroad.
"As for the candidate segments most in demand among employers, the percentages look like this: 241% of those with higher education and specialists would be interested in working abroad and 321% of young candidates," adds Roxana Drăghici.
Globally, candidates from all 185 countries participating in the study ranked London as the city they would most like to work in. The ranking continues with Amsterdam, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and New York.
The study was conducted between October and December 2023 on a sample of 150,000 respondents from 185 countries, including Romania. The responses were collected by The Network, along with affiliated recruitment platforms internationally and processed by the Boston Consulting Group, a management consulting firm headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. This is the largest profile research conducted on a global sample.
