The labor market in Romania will go through accelerated transformations in the coming years, both in terms of the sectors that will hire, but also the skills sought by employers, experts say.
People will need to develop new skills to increase their chances of professional success, says EURES, the European employment services network.
Skills sought by employers in 2026
EURES specialists explain, in a recently published article, that the changes in the labor market in Europe are driven by digitization, automation, artificial intelligence, as well as profound economic and social transformations. To meet the new challenges, future employees will need to develop a range of skills beyond those typically sought by employers.
Adaptability will be one of the most important skills in the labor market in the future, as employees will have to deal with increasingly frequent technological and organizational changes, reports EURES. In this context, professional rigidity becomes a major disadvantage in the labor market.
Emotional intelligence, the ability to manage your own emotions and understand those around you, will also be increasingly relevant to employers.
“Emotional intelligence is essential in a collaborative and diverse work environment and is a skill that cannot easily be replaced by technology”reports EURES.
Critical thinking is among the traits that provide important advantages to employees.
“Critical thinking enables employees to analyze complex information and make informed decisions in a context dominated by automation and big data”send the specialists of the institution.
Effective communication is, in turn, among the important skills sought in the labor market.
“Employers want people who are able to express their ideas clearly, collaborate effectively and avoid misunderstandings that can arise in different cultural and professional contexts”, shows EURES.
Basic digital skills include the use of digital tools, working with online platforms, understanding basic technologies and the ability to use artificial intelligence as a work tool. Their lack is considered a disadvantage for employment in 2026.
“Basic digital skills are no longer optional; they are a minimum condition for participation in the labor market in 2026”also shows EURES.
What jobs will be created in Romania in the coming years
In Romania, IT, commerce and the automotive industry will create the most jobs by 2035, according to the estimates of Cedefop (European Center for the Development of Vocational Training), an agency of the European Union specialized in vocational training and skills development.
In the updated report for 2025, the agency provides estimates for each EU country regarding the evolution of the labor market, the total number of jobs that will become available and the growth of the workforce, by sector, until 2035.
For Romania, the forecasts for the period 2025–2035 show the largest increases in the number of employees in the IT sector, commerce and the automotive industry.
The largest labor market growth between 2025 and 2035 is estimated at 226,058 people in the IT programming and IT services sector. This is followed by retail trade activities, with an estimated increase of about 209,000 employees, and the automotive industry, with about 175,000 additional jobs over the next decade.
The list of the ten sectors in terms of employment evolution is completed by land transport (96,283 people), accommodation and catering (65,353 people), human health activities (58,868 people), electrical equipment manufacturing (45,801 people), food, beverage and tobacco industry (45,182 people), legal and accounting activities (37,047 people) and electricity production and supply (36,994 people).
Driving, among the safest jobs on the labor market
Another section of the report ranks the occupations with the largest increase in the number of employees between 2025 and 2035. The top is led by business and administration specialists (153,463 people), followed by drivers and mobile equipment operators (125,105 people) and information and communication technology specialists (123,238 people).
The list is completed by sales workers (93,840 people), mining, construction, manufacturing and transport workers (92,300 people), assemblers (79,644 people), science and engineering specialists (78,455 people), IT and communications technicians (53,878 people), legal, social and cultural professionals (53,740 people) and personal service workers (51,691 people).
The most jobs available in total in Romania, in the period 2025–2035, are estimated for drivers and mobile equipment operators (277,739 people), followed by business and administration specialists (236,689 people) and sales workers (219,521 people).
The greatest labor force replacement needs in Romania, i.e. the number of people who will need to be hired to replace those leaving the labor market, in the period 2025–2035, are estimated among skilled agricultural workers (262,147 people), followed by drivers and operators of mobile machinery (152,634 people) and metallurgy, machine construction workers and related trades (140,303 persons).
