Three-quarters of the participants in a survey conducted by recruitment platform eJobs.ro said they feel increasing financial pressure amid the recent wave of price hikes. Moreover, nearly half feel overwhelmed and barely manage to cover their basic expenses.

A total of 19.3% said they were coping, but have had to give up small pleasures or the habit of saving money at the end of the month, while only 5.3% say their situation was stable and did not feel a major difference compared to the period before the price increases.

At the same time, 42.5% of respondents believe that, in 2026, a single source of income is no longer enough to ensure a decent standard of living. Meanwhile, 48.1% said one income stream may be enough, but only if earnings exceed RON 7,000 net per month (around EUR 1,400). Only 1.2% of the survey respondents believe a single income source is sufficient, while 8.2% said they can manage on just one salary if they were very frugal.

“In this context, nearly 35% of respondents are not only willing to find an additional activity to generate extra income, but are already interested and actively searching for opportunities. For another 18.9%, this is currently a top priority. Meanwhile, 29.5% would seriously consider it if they found something they enjoyed, and 5% already have a side activity alongside their main job. Most would choose a flexible activity to complement their current job, one that allows them to set their own schedule and workload, such as food delivery or ridesharing,” Bogdan Badea, the CEO of eJobs, explains.

The main reasons for choosing such activities are the flexible schedule, the ability to combine work with personal responsibilities, and the opportunity to supplement their income depending on their needs.

A fixed income no longer seems to be a sufficient solution for everyday living, as only 27% of respondents prefer a stable job with a fixed salary, the survey authors say. At the same time, 52% recognize that a single job is no longer enough and prefer a combination of a fixed-income job and a flexible activity that allows them to choose their schedule and workload. This proportion remains consistent regardless of age group or education level, highlighting a widespread need for additional income sources.

For half of the survey participants, the amount needed to supplement their monthly income in order to relieve financial pressure and feel financially secure would be between RON 2,000 (around EUR 400) and 3,000 (around EUR 600) per month, on top of their current earnings.

Another 28% would need an additional RON 1,000 (EUR 200) to 1,500 (EUR 300) per month, while 16% say their income would need to double. Meanwhile, 7% say an extra RON 500–800 per month would be enough to keep up with rising prices.

When asked how prepaWorkbenchred they would be for a major unexpected expense in the near future, only 6.7% said they have a solid emergency fund they could rely on. Another 34% said they have some savings, but not enough, while more than half reported having no financial safety net at all: 26% would need to borrow money, and 33.3% have no emergency fund and would not know what solution to turn to.

The survey was conducted in February on a sample of 3,156 respondents, candidates, and employees active in the labor market.

(Photo: Alphaspirit/ Dreamstime)

simona@romania-insider.com