Tax changes and inflation increase Romanians' fear for future (study)

Romanians are forced to look for alternatives to supplement their incomes, given the increasingly unstable economic climate, with rising inflation and tax changes that reduce purchasing power, the number of those looking for a second job has risen only in the last 7 days by 51.89%, this percentage being represented by new users, according to a study conducted by the platform DeLucru.ro.

According to the researchers, political and economic instability is forcing a significant part of the population to rethink their sources of income and look for alternative ways to earn money. 'Little train' Ordinance 156/2024 has imposed major tax changes that have directly affected the incomes of many professional categories. The measures included in Ordinance 156/2024 led to a reduction in net incomes. 30% of those who responded to the survey consider the new taxes to be the main cause of the change in their professional behavior, and almost 20% cite job instability as a determining factor.

"For many Romanians, the current period is extremely difficult financially. Tax hikes, inflation and price hikes have made people look for alternative solutions to supplement their income. We are seeing a strong trend towards casual work or short-term jobs, especially in construction, cleaning, goods handling, factory production and domestic services," explains Gili Boruz, founder of DeLucru.ro.

In addition, 70% of job seekers are actively looking for work. Thus, the number of applications to job ads increased significantly between December 31 and January 6 and for existing users of the platform. The most sought-after areas of activity for additional work have diversified, and the demand for unskilled jobs and casual jobs has increased considerably, especially in the counties of Dolj, Buzau, Vaslui, Iasi and Cluj, but also in Bucharest. While in previous years these trends were visible mainly in large cities, now the phenomenon has also spread to smaller cities, such as Piatra Neamt, Targu Jiu, Ramnicu Valcea, Alba Iulia and Giurgiu. By analyzing the profile of those looking for additional jobs, it is noticeable that men are more prone to this change, accounting for 62% of platform users exploring new job opportunities. This can be explained by the traditional distribution of income in households, where men are often seen as the main breadwinners.The majority of those looking for professional alternatives come from urban areas (69%), where living costs are significantly higher and financial pressure is felt more acutely. Young people also feel threatened, especially students who get scholarships and fear that there will be no money in the state budget. There has been a 25% increase in job seekers in the last seven days alone. Students are targeting unskilled labor. Many fear they will no longer receive their scholarships, and the cost of accommodation and food has risen significantly. Even pensioners are worried, especially because they fear that they will not be able to pay their electricity bills or that they will not have enough money for food and medicine. The number of pensioners looking to work because their pension is not enough has risen by 29% in just the last seven days on Delucru.ro.

The areas with the highest growth in demand for occasional jobs are: cleaning and housekeeping services (+48%); home repair and maintenance (+53%); delivery and ride-sharing services (+46%); childcare and eldercare (+39%); fairs, events and seasonal agricultural work (+41%); casual work in rural households (+55%).

More and more Romanians want to diversify their sources of income, avoiding dependence on a single employer.

Another pessimistic trend is the increasing intention of respondents to leave the country. 30% of those surveyed said they are seriously considering going abroad to find better working conditions if they cannot find ways to supplement their income and cope with inflation. Of these, over 71% had higher education.

DeLucru.ro is a platform designed to help unskilled young people, Romanians in diaspora, people looking for extra income and active pensioners to find a job quickly and easily. With no CV required, users can post announcements about their skills and the type of work they can do, and employers or those interested in working with them can contact them directly through the platform's chat.