Some 24.4% of the employees in Romania are low-wage earners, the second-highest share in the European Union after Latvia (25.5%), according to data from the EU’s statistical office Eurostat.

Moreover, the low-wage threshold in Romania is the second-lowest in the EU, of only EUR 1.4 per hour. This means that a quarter of all Romanian employees make less than EUR 1.4 (gross) per hour.

By comparison, Sweden has the lowest share of low-wage earners in the EU, of only 2.6%, and the low-wage threshold in Sweden is EUR 12.3. This means that over 97% of Swedish employees make more than EUR 12.3 per hour.

In the EU, the average proportion of low-wage earners is 17.2%.

Romania also has the second-lowest median gross hourly earnings in the EU, of only EUR 2. This means that half of the employees in Romania make more than EUR 2 per hour and the other half make less than this.

Only Bulgaria does worse, with a median gross hourly earnings of only EUR 1.7. In Hungary, the level is EUR 3.6, in Poland – EUR 4.3, and in Czech Republic – EUR 4.6. The EU average is EUR 13.2 and the top level is EUR 25.5, in Denmark.

PwC: Romanian employees are more productive but companies find it harder to keep them

editor@romania-insider.com