Background information

628,478 workplaces disappeared in the first three months of the COVID-19 crisis (16 March - 17 June 2020). The most vulnerable categories on the labour market are the elderly and youth. In addition, 1.3 million Romanian citizens who previously worked abroad in EU members states such as Spain, Italy, Germany, have returned to Romania after the COVID-19 crisis emerged. Estimations indicate that 300,000 of them are currently looking for a job in Romania. In order to support the labour market integration of returned Romanian workers, especially youth and elderly, and to promote labour market and economic recovery, the Government proposed a set of support measures.

Content of measure

Starting with 1 June 2020, the Government will cover, for a period of 12 months, a 50% share (but not exceeding RON 2,500 - the equivalent of €510) of the wage of those employees who are aged 16-29 or over 50 years, and whose labour contract has ceased during the state of emergency and/or state of alert. The same provision applies to the Romanian workers who previously worked in other EU member countries and whose labour contracts have ceased due to objective reasons. To receive the state support the employees whose contracts ceased must be officially registered as unemployed. It is mandatory for the employers to maintain the labour contact valid 12 months after the support measure ceases.

Use of measure

1,3 million Romanian citizens who previously worked in EU member state have returned back to Romania since the emergence of the pandemic. About 300,000 of them are job-seekers. They are expected to be among the beneficiaries of the measure. The unemployment among youth (15-24) was 17,4% in March 2020, almost three times higher than among the overall population. Some of the unemployed youth will benefit of the measure as well.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Other groups of workers Older people in employment (aged 55+) Youth (18-25) in employment	Applies to all businesses	Migrants

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Consulted	Consulted
Form	Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal	Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

The social partners have been consulted in the design of the measure. Their involvement was requested by institutional setting. National (cross sector) trade union organisations and employers organisations have been consulted.

Views and reactions

There have been no public reaction (in media, on their web-sites, etc) from social partners on the measure. As a rule, the absence of public reaction and criticism from social partners shall be interpreted as a form of agreement with the content of the measure.

Sources

• 28 May 2020: Ordonanta de Urgenta 92/28.05.2020 (legislatie.just.ro)