Tag: unemployment statistics

  • March 14, 2025

    March 14, 2025

    PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION – Candidates for the presidential election in May have two more days to register with the Central Election Bureau, the deadline being March 15 at midnight. So far, only two candidates are officially enrolled in the race, their candidacies having been validated by the Constitutional Court: Crin Antonescu, supported by the PSD-PNL-UDMR ruling coalition, and the Bucharest Mayor General, Nicuşor Dan, who runs as an independent candidate. Deputy Victor Ponta also registered his candidacy as an independent candidate, for which he was excluded from the Social-Democratic Party. On the other hand, the Constitutional Court’s decision to definitively reject the candidacy of independent candidate Călin Georgescu, a pro-Russian extremist who unexpectedly won the first round of last year’s presidential election, has prompted the parties that supported him, AUR and POT, to prepare a new electoral strategy. Thus, the leaders of the two parties, George Simion and Ana-Maria Gavrilă, announced they would both submit their candidacies for the presidential election, and one of them will withdraw once their candidacies are validated. The leader of USR, Elena Lasconi, who advanced to the second round last year, Diana Şoşoacă (from SOS Romania), who expressed confidence her candidacy would be upheld this time, as well as and MEP Cristian Terheş from the Romanian National Conservative Party, also submitted their candidacies.

     

    AID – The Government on Thursday adopted an additional 160-Euro financial aid for 2.5 million pensioners, more specifically those reporting incomes below 520 Euro. The aid will be disbursed in two installments, the first in April, the second in December, says Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.

     

    STATISTICS – Romania’s active population stood at 8.17 million people at the end of 2024, of whom 7.7 million were employed, the National Statistics Institute reports. The employment rate is by 20% higher in the male segment and very low for youth. The unemployment rate at national level was 5.9%, with young people aged 24 and below accounting for 25% of the total number of unemployed.

     

    TRADE DEFICIT – Romania’s trade deficit increased by 38% in January, compared to the same period last year, the National Statistics Institute reports. In 2024, Romania exported goods worth €92.6 billion, while its imports stood at €133.4 billion. Romania’s deficit remains significant, especially in relations with China, Germany and Poland, while recording surpluses with the UK, the Republic of Moldova and the USA, although in smaller volumes. Trade in agricultural products and foostuffs remains vulnerable, as Romania mainly exports raw materials and imports end products. To reduce the €5 billion trade deficit in this area, experts recommend a strategy focused on the export of value-added products and more efficient use of statistical data for better-founded economic decisions.

     

    WEATHER ALERT – Meteorologists have issued a code yellow alert against strong wind, in place today for the west, southwest and center. On Thursday, storms were reported in Bucharest and several counties, with a code red alert against thunderstorms in place for several hours. The storm killed a man, injured another two people and caused significant material damages. Rooftops were torn off, electricity poles snapped and power outages were reported in over 35 settlements. In Bucharest and the neighboring Ilfov County over 60 trees were felled, constructions elements came loose and a pole was knocked down by the wind. Dozens of cars were damaged. Variable skies and temperatures ranging between 16 and 24 degrees Celsius are reported for today, with possible showers and thunderstorms announced in most regions.

     

    FOOTBALL – UEFA has handed FCSB a 30,000-Euro fine for the incidents reported in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16, played in Bucharest. Parts of the stadium will also be closed for the next match in EU competitions. The penalties were awarded due to the racist or discriminatory abuse by fans. The club will have to pay an additional 1,500 Euro for torches lit in the stands. FCSB lost the first leg 3-1 in Bucharest last week as well as the second leg played yesterday away from home to Olympique Lyon of France. (VP)

  • August 1, 2023

    August 1, 2023

    MARKUP – The markup for 14 categories of foodstuffs is curbed for a
    limited period of three months according to a government decree adopted in late
    June. Prices for dairy products, meat, vegetable and fruit are therefore
    expected to go down. Farmers will not be obliged to set a cap on prices,
    government officials say. Failure to observe the new legislation will incur
    fines up to 400,000 EUR.




    CAR SCRAPPING – A new car scrapping scheme
    was launched in Romania with a view to scrapping old vehicles owned by
    individual car owners. Apart from the funds provided by the Environment
    Ministry, accounting for 80% of the program’s budget, local authorities also
    contribute 20%. Whereas the first phase in April was addressed to City Halls,
    in the second phase individual car owners can apply. The deadline for
    applications is set for August 31 or until the funds are depleted. The number
    of beneficiaries was set according to the population of each administrative
    unit. The program was supposed to kick off in 2022, but has been repeatedly
    delayed.




    3SI – Bucharest will host a new Summit
    of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) on September 6, held under the high
    patronage of president Klaus Iohannis. The summit will be followed by the 3SI
    Business Forum. Attending will be Senate Speaker Nicolae Ciucă and Prime
    Minister Marcel Ciolacu. The 3SI brings together 12 EU member states from the
    Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas – Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech
    Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and
    Slovenia. Political and economic support for Ukraine will rank high on the
    summit’s agenda.




    BORDER POLICE – The Border Police
    announced increased traffic on Romania’s borders despite additional measures to
    ease traffic. The overcrowding of borders is owed to many Romanians in the
    Diaspora coming home to spend their summer holidays with their families and
    friends, while many Romanians choose holiday destinations abroad. The
    authorities urge drivers to use all border crossing points. The Arad Border
    Police spokesman Alexandru Dincă said that border police staff are working at
    full capacity and additional control lanes have been added depending on the
    dynamic of traffic flows. At the same time, mobile control stations will be
    deployed in order to ensure optimal border crossing.




    UNEMPLOYMENT – The unemployment rate
    stood at 5.4% in June, down by 0.1% compared to May, the National Statistics
    Institute reports. The number of unemployed stood at nearly 445 thousand in
    June, a decrease also compared to the same period of 2022. Broken down in terms
    of gender, the unemployment rate for men exceeded that of women by 0.8%. Youth
    unemployment stands at some 22%.




    JUSTICE – Justice Minister Alina
    Gorghiu met with US Ambassador in Romania, Kathleen Kavalec. The agenda for
    talks included bilateral judicial cooperation, combating human trafficking and
    the digitization of the justice system in Romania. Minister Gorghiu said the
    Strategic Partnership with the USA is key to promoting human rights and the
    rule of law. The Romanian official hailed the good level of bilateral relations
    in the justice field, and suggested new areas of cooperation, such as legal
    education in Romanian schools. Alina Gorghiu highlighted the importance of a
    predictable legislation for the development of the business sector and boosting
    foreign direct investment in Romanian economy. The Romanian official expressed
    Romania’s firm commitment to combat corruption and implement the
    recommendations of the 2022 Rule of Law Report of the Venice Commission. With
    regard to human trafficking, Alina Gorghiu said the Justice Ministry has
    fulfilled its obligations as per the 2022 Report on Human Trafficking and other
    country-specific reports in this field.




    SPORT – Romanian athletes on Monday won
    five medals – three gold, one silver and one bronze – at the Francophone Games
    held in Kinshasa, Congo. In wrestling, our athletes scooped two gold medals,
    one silver and one bronze. Romania’s table tennis team also won gold after
    defeating Tunisia in the final. On Sunday, Romania grabbed three medals – two
    gold and one silver – in the free wrestling competition. Romania thus ranks
    first in the medal standings with 7 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze, followed by
    Morocco and Cameroon. 57 Romanian athletes represent Romania at the 9th
    edition of the Francophone Games in athletics, women’s basketball, free
    wrestling, African wrestling, road bicycle racing, table tennis and judo. The
    competition is hosted by Congo over July 28 – August 6. (VP)







  • May 3, 2023 UPDATE

    May 3, 2023 UPDATE

    BANK – The
    foreign currency reserves of the National Bank of Romania were in excess of EUR
    53 bln at the end of April, up 0.21% compared to the previous month. The gold
    reserves stay at 103.6 tons. High forex reserves ensure investor confidence,
    analysts explain, adding that this was mostly due to EU fund receipts.




    UNEMPLOYMENT
    – The unemployment rate in Romania dropped slightly, from 5.5% in February to
    5.4% in March, but unemployment among youth remains high, at 22.2%, the
    National Statistics Institute reports. The number of people between the ages of
    15 and 74 receiving unemployment benefits in March was over 453,000, a decrease
    compared both to the previous month of this year and to the corresponding
    period in 2022. Among men, the rate was 5.8%, whereas the proportion of unemployed
    women was 5%. For adults aged 25 to 74, the unemployment rate stood at 4.4%.




    SOLIDARITY
    TAX – The Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday passed a decree introducing a
    solidarity tax to be levied on companies operating in the field of extracting
    and refining oil, natural gas and coal. On Tuesday, the Senate reexamined the
    law, eliminating the 60% contribution from the companies’ excess profits.
    However, under an amendment tabled by coalition parties, a €70 fee per ton of
    refined oil has been added. Companies that reported no production in the
    2018-2021 period are exempt from this tax. The USR opposition party has
    criticized the law, arguing it is designed to exempt certain companies from
    paying this tax.




    MILK -
    Nearly 80% of Romanian milk processors have signed an agreement designed to
    reduce shelf prices for this product, the Competition Council announced on
    Wednesday. The agreement has come into force at the start of May, but some
    price drop-offs are lower because contracts between retailers and processors
    are still being renegotiated. Over the next 6 months, processors and traders pledged
    to share a reduction in milk prices when shelf prices exceed €1.4, which could
    prompt a 20% drop in prices.




    INCIDENT
    – Eight children and a security guard are dead after a shooting in a school in
    Belgrade. According to local police, a 14-year-old student has been arrested in
    connection to the attack. The incident caused a public shock in Serbia, where
    despite the large number of gun permits, shootings are very rare and have never
    before occurred in schools. The authorities have decreed a three-day national
    mourning in memory of the victims.




    GRAIN – The
    European Commission announced exceptional and temporary measures on imports of
    a limited number of products from Ukraine. They concern only 4 products-wheat,
    maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed-and are designed to alleviate logistical bottlenecks
    concerning these products in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
    Meanwhile, Romania will receive an additional EUR 30 bln to support farmers
    affected by the cheap grains imports from Ukraine. Stay tuned for details after
    the news.




    CORONATION
    – Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania, and the Prince Consort, will
    take part on Saturday in the coronation of King Charles III of the United
    Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Royal House of Romania
    announced on Wednesday in a Facebook post. In the 157 years of existence of the
    Royal House of Romania, the connection with the British royal family has been
    steady, based on admiration, respect and affection, both in its official
    dimension, representing the two nations, and in its private, family aspect,
    reads the post. The Royal House adds that this reliable relationship has
    spanned the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries and
    five generations.


    (AMP & VP)

  • April 29, 2021

    April 29, 2021

    COVID-19 IN ROMANIA -
    1.850 new cases of COVID-19 infection were reported on Thursday in Romania
    after some 35,000 tests, the Group for Strategic Communication announced.
    Another 138 related fatalities were also reported, while 1,295 people are
    currently in intensive care. Over 1,050,000 people have tested positive for
    COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic and 27,971 people have died to the
    virus. The infection rate continues to exceed 3 per thousand inhabitants in the
    capital city Bucharest and in Ilfov and Cluj counties, although the numbers are
    dropping steadily. On the other hand, the Government’s special committee for
    relaxing measures starting June 1 convened again to highlight the need for
    adapting relaxation measures depending on the specificity of each field of
    activity. Representatives of associations and employers’ associations made
    clear-cut proposals for the organization of cultural events with the observance
    of health safety regulations. The committee also discussed the gradual
    reopening of hotels and restaurants as more and more people get vaccinated. All
    proposals will be analyzed, starting today, by think-tanks that will address
    each specific field. Meanwhile, the authorities are accelerating the
    vaccination campaign. New vaccination centers will open this week. Some 84
    thousand people got immunized yesterday.


    COVID-19 IN THE WORLD -
    The international community is rallying to support India, a week after this
    country was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with daily record-high numbers
    of infections and fatalities and a health system under duress. The biggest
    concern is the so-called Indian strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which spreads
    rapidly and could be even more contagious and vaccine- and treatment-resistant
    than other strains, the WHO has warned. With a population of nearly 1.4 billion
    people, India has reported 200 thousand deaths and over 18 million infections
    since the start of the outbreak. Some experts believe numbers could be even
    higher. Great Britain has been sending oxygen concentrators and other medical
    equipment, while the United States will be shipping 60 million doses of the
    AstraZeneca vaccine. Romania has joined this international effort and delivered
    200 oxygen concentrators via a Romanian Air Force Spartan aircraft.


    HOLIDAY -Before the May 1st mini-holiday,
    which this year coincides with the Orthodox Easter holiday, Prime Minister
    Florin Cîţu calls on the population to keep observing anti-coronavirus sanitary
    rules, even if Romania is now on a descending slope of the third wave of the
    pandemic. He has urged the prefects and the police to take all measures to
    ensure compliance with the health rules in place. In the Romanian resorts on
    the Black Sea, over 30 thousand tourists are expected during the mini-holiday
    of May 1 and Easter. About 100 hotels will be opened, many of them already occupied
    at 70% capacity, the maximum allowed by the authorities. Tourists are not
    allowed to party on the beach, and wearing a mask is mandatory.




    PNNR -
    The leaders of the center-right ruling coalition in Bucharest have adopted the
    National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNNR) worth 29 billion Euro. The plan
    will be presented in Brussels starting May 10, when the final negotiations with
    European Commission representatives are due to take place. Prime Minister
    Florin Cîţu said none of the proposed projects will be discarded. In turn,
    Minister for Investment and European Projects, Cristian Ghinea, said funding
    for certain investment has been reduced, while budget appropriations have been
    readjusted to reflect the Commission’s recommendations.




    PASSION
    WEEK – Orthodox and Eastern-Orthodox Christians in Romania today
    mark Maundy Thursday, the fourth day of Passion Week when they recall the
    Lord’s Supper, the arrest and trial of Jesus. Passion Week precedes the Resurrection of
    Jesus Christ and marks a time of humbleness and spiritual cleansing ahead of
    the biggest celebration in the Christian calendar. Tonight, Orthodox believers
    will attend a special mass where the 12 Gospels will be read, covering the last
    moments in the life of Jesus, from the Lord’s Supper to his crucifixion. In his
    last supper, Jesus Christ laid the foundations for the Holy Eucharist, offering
    Christians the possibility to partake in the Body and Blood of the Lord. On the
    same day, according to Gospel of John, Jesus withdrew to Gethsemane Garden to
    pray. Betrayed by Judas, he was arrested and tried by the Sanhedrin and
    sentenced to death for blasphemy.




    UNEMPLOYMENT -
    The unemployment rate stood at 5.5% in March, down by 0.2% compared to
    February, a National Statistics Institute report reads. The number of
    unemployed aged 15-74 stood at 464 thousand in March, compared to 478 thousand
    the previous month. Broken down in terms of gender, unemployed men account for
    5.7%, compared to 5.2% for women. The number of unemployed aged 24-74 account for
    75.1% of the estimated number of unemployed in March.




    SURVEY -
    Romanians fear the economic crisis or corruption more than the COVID-19
    pandemic or the outbreak of an armed conflict. It’s one of the findings of the
    Security Survey published by the Romanian Academy’s Center for Sociological
    Research. According to the survey, 43% of respondents believe Romania has been
    a safe country after its NATO accession, while 37% said they felt safe during
    the communist period. As regards public confidence in state institutions, 72%
    of Romanians put their trust in the Army, followed by the Church with a 57%
    share and the Foreign Ministry with 50%.




    US -
    The United States’ return to the international stage, the response to the
    COVID-19 pandemic, the economic recovery plan, as well as firm warnings against
    Russia and China, were some of the highlights of US president Joe Biden’s first
    address to the joint session of Congress. Now, after just 100 days, I can
    report to the nation: America is on the move again. Turning peril into
    possibility. Crisis into opportunity. Setback into strength, the White House
    leader said. According to Radio Romania’s Washington correspondent, Joe Biden
    also addressed a message to Russian president Vladimir Putin, insisting that
    Russia’s actions will have consequences. (V.P.)

  • January 25, 2021

    January 25, 2021

    COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Restaurants, bars,
    cinemas, theatres and gambling outlets will reopen in Bucharest staring today.
    All these venues will work at reduced capacity and with limited working hours.
    The ease in restrictions follows a drop in the infection rate in the capital
    city, to under 3 per thousand inhabitants, thus taking Bucharest out of the red
    zone. Meanwhile the vaccination campaign continues. Over 860,000 people have
    made appointments so far, of whom over half have already been immunized. The
    sixth delivery of over 92,000 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines arrived earlier today in
    airports in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca and Timişoara. The vaccines will then be
    taken to regional centers for storing and administration. On Monday, the Group for
    Strategic Communication announced another 1,500 new confirmed cases of COVID-19
    and 65 related deaths. 1,000 patients are in intensive care.




    COVID-19 IN THE
    WORLD – There are over 10 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the world
    right now and over 2.1 million associated deaths, the latest worldometers.info
    update indicates. Meanwhile, the new coronavirus strains discovered in Great
    Britain and South Africa continue to spread around the world, and vaccination
    campaigns are slowing down after Pfizer reduced its production capacity, thus
    affecting its deliveries to European states. EU leaders assure pharmaceutical
    companies will observe delivery deadlines under the signed agreements.
    Meanwhile authorities in Germany, France, the Netherlands or Belgium are
    introducing harsh restrictions. In turn, Spain is facing a third wave of the
    pandemic. According to our correspondent on the ground, the regions of Madrid
    and Valencia, home to large Romanian communities, are as of today reintroducing
    restrictions due to the large number of COVID cases. Restaurants in Valencia
    are shut down and the Police in Madrid are using drones to check the observance
    of health safety measures. Nearly all regions will be isolated for the next two
    weeks. In the United States, President Joe Biden today will sign a decree
    reintroducing travel restrictions for citizens from the EU, Great Britain and
    Brazil. With this move the new White House leader wants to keep the mutated
    strains of COVID away from the United States.




    ECONOMY – Romania’s budget is
    under a lot of pressure right now, due to the need to observe the 7% deficit
    target agreed upon with the European Commission, Romanian Deputy Prime Minister
    Dan Barna said on Monday. The Romanian official said the Government is working
    on a Reconstruction and Resilience Plan which Romania will advance to the
    European Commission, under which our country is due to receive some €30 billion.
    On the other hand, the state budget for this year is still under discussion,
    and the Government wants to adopt it in the first half of February. The
    Government is also due to pass a law providing for a 3% increase in the minimum
    wage starting January 2021. In another development, Moody’s financial rating
    agency says the Government in Bucharest passed the most restrictive economic
    support package in Central and Eastern Europe in the context of the COVID
    pandemic. Thus Romania has allotted only 4% of its GDP to economic recovery.
    The report also reveals that half of this package accounts for direct measures
    or tax breaks or payment deferrals, while the other half represents Government
    guarantees.




    MEETING – Romania’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, is today attending a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers
    in Brussels. EU officials, alongside the High Representative for Foreign
    Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, will exchange views on the EU
    strategy for distributing vaccines to third-world countries, developments in
    the case of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, prospects of consolidating
    trans-Atlantic ties and EU-Turkey relations. Minister Bogdan Aurescu will also
    notify his European counterparts regarding progress on setting up the
    Euro-Atlantic Resilience Center in Romania. During an informal breakfast
    meeting, EU Foreign Affairs Ministers will also tackle EU-UK relations in terms of
    foreign policy and security, considering the withdrawal of Great Britain from
    the community bloc on January 1, 2021.




    UNEMPLOYMENT – The
    unemployment rate stood at 3.38% in December 2020, up by 0.06% compared to the
    previous month and by 0.41% compared to December 2019, the National Employment
    Agency reports. The total number of unemployed was close to 300,000, two thirds
    of them reported in the rural area. People without studies and those with basic
    training account for the largest share in the number of unemployed.




    SUMMIT – World leaders are
    today meeting online in the first summit devoted to protecting the planet
    against climate change. The summit focuses on the effects of climate change.
    The previous such summits were devoted to combating the causes of climate
    change, carbon gas emissions in particular. The event is aimed at reducing the
    vulnerability of state in the face of rising sea levels, a surge in extreme
    weather phenomena and food shortages all over the world.




    PORTUGAL – Portugal on Sunday
    elected the moderate Conservative Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa as its new president,
    after a ballot held with the strict observance of COVID-related health safety
    measures. According to AFP, the current president, a 72-year-old law professor,
    earned public recognition as a TV sports commentator. Sousa won 60.7% of the
    vote, according to partial results covering nearly all constituencies. In his
    victory speech, President Sousa promised he would make it his priority to
    combat the COVID pandemic. (V. Palcu)