Romanian executive plans to cut 40,000 jobs from local administration

More than 40,000 positions will be cut from local administration in Romania as part of a wider effort to reduce public expenses. In total, the expected annual financial impact amounts to RON 2.2 billion (EUR 434 million).

The job cuts were announced by Romania’s minister of development, public works, and administration, Cseke Attila.

Also cut will be government jobs at the central level, from the cabinet of the prime minister, the deputy prime ministers, the ministers, the state secretaries, and others.

Roughly 4,000 positions part of the local police forces will be eliminated as well.

“40,000 positions in local administration [will be cut] overall, and the financial impact amounts to RON 2.2 billion annually,” the minister said during an interview, cited by Agerpres.

Attila also explained the need for these measures. “We need to increase the revenues of local authorities, knowing that we are in a difficult year and probably next year will also be a difficult year. The state will not have the possibility to support the municipalities in their activity,” he said.

The cuts will not impact all local authorities equally. The ones that do not have a full organizational chart will not have to let many people go.

“Those who have all positions filled will, of course, need a more consistent reduction, including reorganization, in the sense that some employees in the public sector will have to leave,” said Cseke Attila.

Roughly 1.306 million people work in Romania’s public sector, according to figures from November 2024. The central public administration employed 838,316 people, and 467,881 worked in local public administration.

(Photo source: Cseke Attila on Facebook)