Romanians working in Italy ask for wages of at least EUR 600 to return back home

Most of the Romanian workers who attended the job fair organized by Romanian authorities in Rome last month were men aged 35-45, who said they would return back home for salaries of at least 600 euros; Romania is facing deep labor deficit, mostly in constructions.

The country's Labor Ministry said most of the workers demanded salaries of 600-800 euros. More than half of the 700 Romanians who attended the job fair said they work illegally in Italy and 13 percent said they lack a stable job.

Most of them were born and lived in eastern Romania, one of the poorest regions in the country, the ministry said, after analyzing data collected at the fair. The good news, the ministry said, is that, despite the few contracts signed at the fair, many workers called companies in Romania a few days after and negotiated conditions to return home.

The government alloted money for a campaign to convince Romanians who work abroad to return home. The Ministry of Labor also contributes 6 billion euros for professional reconversion and other programs to help workers.

The first fair was organized in February in Rome but failed to draw more than 700 people curious about the offer in Romania.

The next one is in Spain on April 12, 13. Official figures show there are some 800,000 people working here, however the real number is much higher, authorities deem.