The number of occupied posts in public institutions and authorities increased by 4,558 in the first 2 months of 2025

The number of occupied posts in public institutions and public authorities in Romania stood at 1,311,451 in February 2025, 4,558 more than at the end of last year, according to data published on the website of the Ministry of Finance (MF).   More than 64% of the occupied positions were in the central public administration, i.e. 841,259 (plus 2,936 compared to December 2024), and 621,809 of these were in institutions fully financed from the state budget (plus 2,690 employees compared to December 2024).   The highest number of positions occupied was registered with the Ministry of Education, 308,442 (plus 898 as compared to December 2024), the Ministry of Internal Affairs – 125,001 (plus 484), the Ministry of National Defence – 80,746 (plus 1,902), the Ministry of Finances 24,558 (plus 16) and the Ministry of Health – 18,386 (plus 66).According to the cited source, in the institutions fully financed from the social security budget there were 8,980 occupied posts (minus 234 compared to December 2024), in those subsidised from the state budget and the unemployment insurance budget a total of 43,594 (minus 745), while in the institutions fully financed from own revenues there were 166,876 occupied posts (plus 1,225). At the same time, in the local public administration there worked in February 2025, 470,192 people ( plus 1,622 as compared to the last month of 2024) out of whom 287,790 in institutions fully financed from local budget (plus 768) and 182,402 in institutions fully financed or partially financed from own budget (plus 854).The Emergency Ordinance No 156/2024 on some fiscal-budgetary measures in the field of public expenditure for the substantiation of the consolidated general budget for 2025 provides that, this year, the maximum number of posts to be financed from public funds, for public institutions and authorities, regardless of the mode of financing and subordination, shall be established by the authorising officers in such a way as to ensure the full payment of the salary rights granted under the law, within the staff expenditure approved by the budget.   At the same time, according to the ordinance, as of 1 January 2025, the filling of vacant posts in public authorities and institutions, regardless of the system of financing and subordination, including activities financed entirely from own revenues, has been suspended. Single vacant posts are exempt from this provision. Also, the provisions do not apply to the posts whose filling has already been approved by the government by memorandum by the date of entry into force of the GEO, to the admission competition for residency, to those required to be filled by doctors who have completed their residency, resident doctors who have passed the specialized examination in 2024 as well as to the vacant posts related to projects financed by non-reimbursable external funds and paid from European funds and to the posts related to national research projects paid from public funds. 'By way of exception from the provisions of para. (1), the chief authorising officers, in duly justified cases, may approve the filling of a maximum of 15% of the total number of posts that will become vacant after the date of entry into force of this emergency ordinance, only under the conditions of falling within the staff expenditure approved by the budget, at the level of the chief authorising officer, for each source of financing', the GEO reads. The percentage of 15% does not apply in the situation where vacant posts filling does not lead to the increase of total number of occupied posts, within the staff expenditure approved by the budget at the level of the authorizing officers, to fill vacancies corresponding to: senior civil servants, senior civil servants with special status and senior military posts.