Reaction of the Employers’ Federation of Labour Force Importers

The adoption of a quota of 90,000 foreign workers for 2026 is good news for the entrepreneurship environment and is in line with the market needs, says the Employers’ Federation of Labour Force Importers (PIFM). The reaction of the federation comes following the publication by the Ministry of Labour of a draft decision that provides for a quota of 90,000 newly admitted foreign workers on the labour market for next year.

The adoption of a quota of 90,000 foreign workers for 2026 is good news for the entrepreneurship environment and is in line with the market needs, says the Employers’ Federation of Labour Force Importers (PIFM). The reaction of the federation comes following the publication by the Ministry of Labour of a draft decision that provides for a quota of 90,000 newly admitted foreign workers on the labour market for next year.

This measure offers a guarantee that the over 73,000 work permit applications registered in the portal of the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) for appointment until April 30, 2026 stand a real chance of being processed and approved. The Government’s decision confirms that the resources invested by Romanian employers in international recruitment and selection processes have not been in vain. IMM Romania (The National Council of Small and Medium-sized Private Enterprises in Romania) and PIFM have been the only organizations that, within the National Tripartite Council, consistently supported the need for this quota to be published by the end of the year, PIFM says.

According to the aforementioned source, the figures released by the General Inspectorate for Immigration confirm the importance of the timely decision and the scale of the economic activity that depends on foreign workforce. 73,386 online requests have been registered at national level, for appointment between December 2, 2025 – April 30, 2026, with a peak of activity due between November 15, 2025 and January 15, 2026, with 31,591 registered requests.

Romulus Badea, president of PIFM, claims the decision represents a mechanism to unblock the labour market and a confirmation of the partnership between the authorities and the business environment. Through this measure, the Government supports employers who have major projects underway, offering them the necessary predictability to carry through their contracts and avoid financial losses, the employers’ federation says.