A growing number of Romanian employees are facing emotional difficulties, with 63.6% reporting they are currently going through a challenging period, according to the latest survey conducted by the online recruitment platform eJobs. The leading cause, cited by 22.2% of respondents, is insufficient income to cover their daily expenses. Other factors include personal problems (14.5%) and burnout (11%).

The survey, carried out in April 2025 among nearly 2,000 participants, also found that 10.8% feel unappreciated at work, while 9.9% are affected by the instability of the companies they work for. Another 8.9% said they had recently lost their jobs, compounding their emotional distress.

“The vast majority of issues Romanians are dealing with right now are linked to their professional lives - either because they’re underpaid, lack job security, have lost their job, or are overworked to the point of exhaustion,” said Raluca Dumitra, Head of Marketing at eJobs. “Half of the respondents say 2025 has started poorly, and they don’t believe the situation will improve by year’s end.”

Financial concerns dominate the list of fears for this year. Nearly 60% of respondents worry their incomes won’t keep pace with rising prices, while 42.2% cited socio-political instability as their main concern. 

The fear of being unable to find a new job (37.3%), emotional imbalance (18.5%), and unresolved personal issues were also among the top stressors.

When asked to describe their current emotional state, 46.5% expressed concern about the future, 45% reported feelings of uncertainty, 17.8% said they had lost their emotional balance, 17% felt depressed, and 15% experienced loneliness. Only 15.1% of respondents felt optimistic, and a mere 2.3% said they had found emotional stability.

Despite the widespread emotional struggles, only 26.4% of those surveyed said they had felt the need to seek psychological counseling over the past year. Of those, just 40% followed through and actually attended therapy. Cost remains the main barrier - 36.8% of those who sought help paid out of pocket, while only 3.4% benefited from employer-provided services. Many refrained from seeking help due to discomfort with sharing personal issues or fear of being judged.

According to the same survey, currently, just 12.4% of employees have access to psychological counseling as a workplace benefit. Over half (51%) said they would like this service to be available, while 36.6% were indifferent. Fewer than one in four respondents believe their managers are genuinely concerned about employees’ emotional well-being.

Low salaries remain the most significant source of workplace stress, followed by overwork and exhaustion, lack of flexibility regarding remote work, tense relationships with managers, and fear of job loss.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Fizkes/Dreamstime.com)