Job vacancies down in Q2

The ratio of vacant jobs was 2.02 percent of the total jobs in the second quarter of this year, 0.12 percentage points lower than in Q1 2008, and 0.9 percentage points lower than in Q2 2007, according to data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

The highest number of vacant jobs was registered in Q3 2007, of 2.2 percent.

In Q2 2008, most vacant jobs were registered in public administration, health and social services, INS data showed, while operations in the energy sector, utilities and the extraction industry registered the fewest vacancies.

The lack of interest for public administration jobs is due to low wages and political involvement in the field. "Civil servants know they will not be able to make a career in the field and have no promotion perspectives, given the political power changes, as new ministers, heads of County Councils and mayors bring in their own people to change the old ones," the President of the National Confederacy of Civil Servant Trade Unions Sed Lex, Vasile Marica, told Business Standard.

Although salaries of civil servants rose by more than 10 percent in 2008, the average wage is RON 900 (€250), some 30 percent below Romania's average wage.

Low salaries and poor working conditions are the main reasons for which health system employees prefer to change jobs or find work abroad, according to Sanitas Trade Union President, Marius Petcu.

Business Standard