PwC survey: Workers in Romania are the most affected in the region by the economic situation, fear of job cuts and political decisions. Fewer want to change jobs

• The intention to change employers has fallen from 25% to 18%, in a year in which confidence in job security dropped by ten percentage points.
• Motivation remains high, and workers’ willingness to go above and beyond has increased.
• Over the next three years, economic volatility is seen as a greater threat to job security than artificial intelligence (63% vs. 45%).
• Only a quarter of workers say they have money left over after paying their bills, compared with 39% a year ago.

Bucharest, 1 October 2026- Fear of losing their jobs, the rising cost of living and political decisions were the main factors affecting workers in Romania over the past year, to a greater extent than in the other Central and Eastern European countries included in the 2026 edition of PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey: Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Against this backdrop, workers’ confidence in job security has fallen since last year, and fewer say they intend to change employer in the next 12 months. Motivation, however, remains high, above the regional average.

“The results need to be read in the economic context in which they were collected. Romania entered 2026 with the highest inflation rate in the European Union, and the effect shows directly in household budgets. The good news is that, in a difficult year, motivation has risen rather than fallen, and the intention to change employer has declined. Workers are willing to stay and do more, but they need trust and support from managers who explain and coordinate change. For employers, the message is clear: the workforce is motivated and adaptable enough, but it needs to be mobilised through a clear, coherent and well-communicated vision in order to have a visible impact on transformation,” said Oana Munteanu, Director and Workforce Leader, PwC Romania.

Almost six in ten respondents (58%) say they pay their bills with little or nothing left over at the end of the month, compared with 50% in 2025 and 52% in the region, while the share struggling to pay their bills has risen from 10% to 17%, close to the regional average. Among workers affected at work by the rising cost of living, 46% say it has increased their stress levels, compared with 34% in the region.

Over the past year, the rising cost of living had the strongest impact, with 71% of workers in Romania reporting a moderate or major impact at work, compared with 56% in the region. It was followed by domestic political decisions (62% vs. 49%), concern about job cuts (61% vs. 50%) and geopolitical conflict (59% vs. 48%). On each of these pressures, Romania records the highest level among the countries analysed. Over the next three years, the main perceived threats to job security are economic volatility, conflicts between countries, AI taking on more tasks and companies relocating work to lower-cost locations. At the same time, confidence in job security has fallen, as has the intention to change employer. The share of workers who are very or extremely confident in their job security fell from 58% in 2025 to 48% in 2026, and the share who say they are very or extremely likely to change employer in the next 12 months fell from 25% to 18%.

Motivation, however, remains high: 73% of workers feel proud of their work at least once a week, compared with a regional average of 64%. In addition, 65% are willing to go above and beyond at least once a week, up from 57% in 2025.

Pay and stability are the top priorities

At the same time, 37% of workers say they are very or extremely likely to ask for a pay raise in the next 12 months, and 32% say the same about a promotion. As in previous years, pay and benefits remain the number one priority when workers assess their job, cited among their top three priorities by 65%, followed by job security (53%).

Overall, 42% of respondents feel they are paid fairly relative to the value they contribute. Six in ten workers in Romania (61%) would not accept lower pay or benefits, 47% would not accept less job security and 44% would not accept longer hours or a faster pace of work, while a negative work culture is a dealbreaker for 34%, compared with 50% globally.

About the survey

PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2026 was conducted in May and June 2026 among 49,364 workers across 48 countries and regions, including 447 in Romania. Regional comparisons cover Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The full report is available here.

About PwC

At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We’re a network of firms in more than 130 countries with more than 360,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more at www.pwc.ro.