Working abroad report: Romanian expats are younger than the average, work in IT and are happy with their salaries

According to the Future of Working Abroad report by InterNations, the typical Romanian expat working abroad is 38.8 years old on average (which is younger than the average expat - 43.1 years), and usually moves abroad for job-related reasons (43% of respondents). Romanians also move to another country because they want to live in their partner’s home country/for love (12% vs. 10% globally) or because they are looking for a better quality of life (10% vs. 6% globally).

Most Romanians working abroad were recruited internationally (20%), followed by 16% who found a job independently, and 8% who were sent abroad by their employer. Not a single respondent from Romania moved abroad to start a business (compared to a global average of 2%).

The report also revealed that most Romanian expats working abroad (60%) are female, a figure higher than the global average of 46%.

The most common field that Romanian expats work in is IT (19% compared to the global average of 11%). They also work in finance (9%), transportation & logistics (8%), and healthcare, manufacturing & engineering, and education (7% each).

The InterNations report also found the Romanian expats to be happy with their salaries or the possibility to work remotely. Over a third of Romanian expats (34.6%) cited good compensation and/or good benefits as a highlight of their current job. In fact, 71% have a gross yearly income of up to USD 75,000 (compared to 62% globally), and 16% make more than USD 100,000 per year (compared to 23% globally).

The opportunity to work remotely/from home is also among the things that the Romanian expats like best about their current jobs: 35.2% named this aspect compared to a global average of 32%. Three in four (75%) can work from home, and 68% report that they enjoy it.

However, when asked about their dream job, the opportunity to work remotely is not high on the list for Romanian expats: just 18% cite it among the most relevant factors for an ideal work environment (vs. 22% globally). Good compensation and/or benefits is most important to Romanian expats (55%), followed by a good work-life balance (50%), flexible working hours and general career development (30% each), as well as room for personal development/growth (28%), and creative/interesting tasks (25%).

The Future of Working Abroad report is based on data from the Expat Insider 2021 survey by InterNations, the world’s largest expat community with more than 4 million members. Expats all across the globe shared what it is like to work abroad and described their working conditions, but also what they would like to see in the future.

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