Officials of the French retailer Auchan, which has over 10,500 employees in Romania, said that the situation in the local labor market is extremely difficult.

This is especially true for counties like Cluj, Timis, and Sibiu. Auchan has big problems in finding employees in several cities, including Deva, reports local Ziarul Financiar.

The situation in the labor market is comparable to the one in 2006-2007 when Romanians went abroad in large numbers, as the country joined the EU, said Auchan officials. The competition also comes from the local market, where factories open new production lines and search for employees.

Auchan has 33 stores in Romania, which had a turnover of EUR 1 billion in 2015. Of its 10,500 employees, 7,500 are cashiers and commercial workers.

“Last year we increased the salaries in the company by 25%. An employee starts with a gross salary of RON 1,300 (EUR 292), which gets to RON 1,400 after the trial period. After one year the salary reaches RON 1,500 (EUR 336),” said Auchan officials.

editor@romania-insider.com