Infographic: Romania's civilian employed population shrank by one million people between 2008 and 2024

Romania's civilian employed population shrank by one million people between 2008 and 2024 dropping from 8.7 million to 7.7 million while the number of wage earners rose from 5.2 million to 5.8 million, according to an analysis by *Monitorul Social* (a project of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Romania) based on data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS).According to the cited source, the employed population comprises all persons who habitually pursue an income-generating occupation?engaged in an economic or social activity either under an employment contract or on a self-employed basis?for the purpose of obtaining income in the form of wages, payment in kind, or other types of payments.According to the National Institute of Statistics (INS), the civilian employed population does not include military personnel and those with equivalent status specifically personnel from the Ministry of National Defence (MApN), the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI), and the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) as well as prison inmates and employees of political and civic organizations.The analysis shows that, following accession to the European Union, Romania's civilian employed population decreased by one million people between 2008 and 2024, falling from 8.7 million in 2008 to 7.7 million in 2024.During the same period, the number of employees rose from 5.2 million to 5.8 million. The categories that saw the largest percentage declines were unpaid family workers with 72% fewer in 2024 than in 2008 and self-employed workers, with 31% fewer.The share of the employed civilian population in publicly owned enterprises remained almost constant, moving from 16.6% in 2008 to 16.5% in 2024, while the share of the employed population in the private sector rose from 79.9% to 81.8%.Regarding the employment rate of the working-age population, it recorded a slight increase, from 62.5% in 2008 to 63.4% in 2024. For women, the employment rate is lower than the average: 57.8% in 2008 and 58.3% in 2024.The analysis also highlights significant variations between counties regarding employment rates among the working-age population. The highest figures are recorded in the counties of Cluj (78%), Timis (77%), and Sibiu (74%), while the lowest are found in Giurgiu (40%), Botosani (41%), and Calaras (41%).In Bucharest, the number of employed persons 1.3 million exceeds the working-age resident population, a situation explained by the fact that a significant number of residents from neighboring counties work in the capital."These data highlight the need for public policies that support equitable access to employment, the reduction of regional disparities, and improved conditions for all workers," the document states.The analysis was conducted based on data from the National Institute of Statistics - Tempo Online.