英文_OECD_经合组织劳动力市场和社会政策审查_罗马尼亚2025_99页_3mb

OECD Reviews of Labour Market and Social Policies: Romania 2025 Summary

Core Content

This report is part of the OECD's review of Romania's labour market and social policies as part of its accession process to the OECD. It outlines the current state of Romania's labour market, social situation, and policy priorities, with a focus on improving workforce potential, managing labour migration, and supporting vulnerable households.

Main Assessment

1.1. The Labour Market and Social Situation in Romania

• Labour Market Trends: Despite a strong labour market before the pandemic, employment and participation rates in Romania remain low compared to OECD countries. The employment rate in 2023 was 63%, below the OECD average of 70%.
• Regional Disparities: Significant regional differences exist, with higher poverty rates in rural areas and lower employment rates in certain regions.
• Population Ageing: Romania's working-age population is shrinking rapidly due to low fertility and high emigration. The share of people aged 65 and older is expected to increase by 15% by 2040, compared to 31% in the OECD.
• Informality: Informal employment remains high, with undeclared work accounting for 27.1% of GVA in 2019, the highest in the EU.
• Poverty and Deprivation: Romania has higher income poverty rates than the OECD average, with 16.2% in 2021. Material deprivation is also widespread, affecting 15.2% of the population in 2020.
• Roma Community: The Roma population, estimated at 3-10% of the total, faces severe poverty and limited access to education and employment. Their employment rate is 41% for those aged 20-64, significantly lower than the general population's 71%.
• Gender Gaps: The gender employment gap has widened, with women's employment rates significantly lower than men's. Women are overrepresented in care roles, and part-time work participation is low.
• Education and Skills: Learning outcomes are poor, with many students failing to meet baseline proficiency levels in core subjects. Romania has the highest rate of early school leaving in the EU, and vocational education and training (VET) systems are under-resourced and underutilized.

1.2. Lifting Romania's Workforce Potential

• Training and Upskilling: Policies to promote workforce training, upskilling, and reskilling are essential. Emphasis is placed on ensuring all young people, including those from rural and low-income communities, gain necessary skills.
• Vocational Education and Training (VET): Romania has made efforts to modernize its VET system, including the ReCONECT project for forecasting skill needs and monitoring graduates. A dual model for tertiary vocational degrees is also being introduced.
• Adult Learning: Participation in adult learning remains low, with the need for more investment and better integration of training for both employed and unemployed individuals.
• School-to-Work Transition: Initiatives include reducing school drop-out, improving educational outcomes, and re-connecting out-of-work youth. A national programme aims to reduce drop-out by 25% in lower-secondary schools with high rates.

1.3. Increasing Return and Improving Management of Labour Migration

• Emigration Trends: Romania has one of the highest emigration rates among OECD countries, with almost 20% of the working-age population residing abroad.
• Labour Migration: Labour migration has increased, especially from Asia, with Nepal and Sri Lanka being key sources. Romania's open policy has attracted more migrant workers, but oversight and regulation of recruitment could be strengthened.
• Diaspora Engagement: There is a lack of effective engagement with the diaspora to harness potential labour supply.
• Migration Management: Admission quotas have increased, and there is a growing number of international students. However, challenges remain in ensuring the quality and integration of migrant workers.

1.4. Empowering Vulnerable Households Through Social Support

• Social Expenditures: Public social expenditures are below the OECD average, and social assistance spending is particularly low.
• Unemployment Benefits: Only about 10% of jobseekers are covered by unemployment benefits, indicating a need for expansion.
• Parental Leave and Childcare: Romania has implemented generous parental leave and extended it for fathers, but childcare infrastructure is underdeveloped.
• Pension Reform: A significant pension reform was approved in 2023, equalizing retirement age and linking it to life expectancy, which improved pension benefits and their progressivity.
• Gender Equality and Violence Against Women: Despite progress, gender inequality and violence against women remain significant issues. Romania ratified the Istanbul Convention in 2016 to address these challenges.
• Inclusion Policies for Roma: The National Roma Integration Strategy (2022-2027) includes measures to improve education, housing, and social services for the Roma community. However, more efforts are needed to address deep-rooted inequalities.

Key Information

• Employment Rates:
  • 63% in Romania (2023) vs. 70% OECD average.
  • Young people: 19% vs. 41% OECD average.
  • Older workers: 51% vs. 66% OECD average.
  • Low-educated workers: 46% vs. 60% OECD average.
• Roma Employment Rate: 41% (2021) for those aged 20-64, compared to 71% for the general population.
• Informal Employment: 27.1% of GVA in 2019, the highest in the EU.
• Poverty Rates:
  • Income poverty: 16.2% in Romania (2021) vs. 10.9% OECD average.
  • Material deprivation: 15.2% in Romania (2020) vs. 5.9% EU average.
• Education Outcomes:
  • 49% of 15-year-olds did not meet baseline proficiency in mathematics (PISA 2022).
  • 16.6% of 18-24 year-olds in Romania did not complete upper-secondary education.
• Pension Reform: Equalized retirement age between men and women and improved financial sustainability.
• VET Participation: 57% of upper-secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes in 2022.
• NEET Rate: 19% of 15-29 year-olds in Romania in 2023, the highest in the OECD.

Recommendations and Policy Initiatives

• Training and Education: Expand adult learning, improve VET quality and relevance, and enhance the school-to-work transition.
• Social Dialogue: Strengthen collective bargaining and social dialogue despite existing institutional frameworks.
• Social Protection: Increase social expenditures and improve coverage of unemployment benefits.
• Childcare Infrastructure: Develop better childcare systems to support working parents.
• Gender Equality: Promote equal opportunities and combat violence against women.
• Pension System: Continue reforms to ensure sustainability and equity.
• Roma Inclusion: Implement more inclusive policies and improve access to education and employment.

Conclusion

Romania faces significant challenges in its labour market and social policies, including low employment rates, high informality, and substantial regional disparities. The country has made notable progress in several areas, such as pension reform and parental leave policies, but more comprehensive and targeted actions are needed to address skill gaps, improve social protection, and enhance the inclusion of vulnerable groups, especially the Roma community. Strengthening social dialogue, increasing investment in education and training, and better managing migration flows are critical to ensuring sustainable economic and social development in Romania.