European project on the integration of migrants into the labour market

A European project running until 2028 aims to support local authorities in the Western Region of Romania to integrate more efficiently migrants into the labour market, through educational programs, career guidance and recognition of acquired skills. The project is carried out in partnership by the University of Florence, the West University of Timişoara and the West Regional Development Agency. The initiative is carried out in the context in which the region is facing an increasingly severe labour shortage, due to the departure of young people and the ageing of the active population. Employers here say it is increasingly difficult to find people with the necessary skills, and the integration of migrants is becoming an increasingly discussed option.

A European project running until 2028 aims to support local authorities in the Western Region of Romania to integrate more efficiently migrants into the labour market, through educational programs, career guidance and recognition of acquired skills. The project is carried out in partnership by the University of Florence, the West University of Timişoara and the West Regional Development Agency. The initiative is carried out in the context in which the region is facing an increasingly severe labour shortage, due to the departure of young people and the ageing of the active population. Employers here say it is increasingly difficult to find people with the necessary skills, and the integration of migrants is becoming an increasingly discussed option.

The Vice-Rector of the West University of Timişoara, Mădălin Bunoiu, has said migration must be approached pragmatically, by pursuing policies based on knowledge and social inclusion. According to him, integration does not work without knowledge, and public policies do not work without understanding the people behind the numbers.

A similar situation can be found in Buzău County, in eastern Romania. There, the County Employment Agency draws attention to a chronic shortage of local workforce, in the context in which young people and skilled workers choose to work abroad, and the import of workforce from non-EU countries, such as Nepal, India and Bangladesh, tripled in 2025, as compared to 2024. The local Immigration Service issues certificates for 200 jobs a month, the most requested jobs being in the hospitality industry, construction and agriculture, the Agency reports.

The Director of the Buzău County Employment Agency, Ionel Tociu, has said that entrepreneurs are particularly looking for workers from such countries as India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan. According to data released by the agency, the workforce crisis is deeper in the manufacturing industries, where welders, foundry workers and millers are hard to find, in the hospitality industry, where there is a shortage of bartenders, cooks, and waiters, as well as in construction and agriculture.