Less than 5,000 Ukrainians Employed in Romania since February

Less than 5,000 Ukrainians have found jobs in Romania after the war began, according to the Romanian Labour Minister, Mr. Marius Budai.

As of this morning, 6,372 active contracts of Ukrainian citizens are registered, of which 4,850 are contracts that started when the conflict began. So the number of contracts with a start date of February 24, 2022, or later has increased by 19 compared to yesterday (e.n. Thursday, November 10).

Romania’s Labour Minister Marius Budai

The numbers are ridiculous when we think that more than 2.8 million Ukrainians (men, women and children) have crossed the Romanian border after the war started in Ukraine. Most of them have indeed fled to other countries, such as Poland or Germany, but some remained in Romania.

What would be the explanation for this number, though? One answer comes when analyzing the jobs the Ukrainians have access to. According to the quoted Romanian official, 1,314 Ukrainians were employed in the manufacturing industry, while 813 found jobs in construction. Not the most desired ones, especially regarding the age of those who fled the war. On the other hand, what jobs can a refugee approach in a country where he or she doesn’t speak the language, where most employers don’t want to complicate their existence by filling in forms for hiring Ukrainians?

Another explanation comes from analyzing the type of people who chose Bucharest. Expensive cars and flashy outfits this has become a trademark for the Ukrainians living in Romania’s capital. After watching the flip side of the Ukrainian refugees, you understand what sort of men escaped the inferno. Some of them drive the latest 4×4 arrivals from BMW or Mercedes and don’t look like they need a job to fill in the 80-liter tank of their cars.

5,000 jobs for the Ukrainian refugees is too small compared to those who have crossed the border since February. But not all of them stayed in Romania, and only a few of the remaining ones needed a job.