Workers in Romania show an encouraging willingness to adapt, but this should not be confused with being fully prepared for the changes ahead. The survey captures a positive attitude towards work and new ways of working, while also revealing important vulnerabilities: financial pressure, rising workloads and a sharp decline in trust in senior management. The way organisations reward people is part of this challenge. In Romania, workers are rewarded much more often for following rules and avoiding mistakes than for taking initiative, learning new skills or using artificial intelligence effectively. The readiness identified in the survey is an important starting point, but it will translate into competitiveness only if it is supported by stronger learning cultures, better systems and a clearer understanding of how technology, including AI, is reshaping work.
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Key findings
The readiest to adapt in the region. 63% of workers feel ready to adapt to new ways of working, compared with 50% in CEE and 52% globally. Motivation has also grown: 65% are willing to go above and beyond at least once a week, up from 57% in 2025.
The sharpest financial strain in the region. Only 23% have money left over after paying their bills, down from 39% a year ago, and 71% say the cost of living has affected them at work (CEE: 56%, global: 62%).
Less confidence, less mobility. Confidence in job security fell from 58% to 48%, and the share very or extremely likely to change employer dropped from 25% to 18%.
Trust in leaders under pressure. Trust in top management fell from 56% to 45% in a single year, a steeper decline than the global drop of 7pp, although it remains above the regional average of 37%.
AI: ahead of the region, behind the global pace. 58% have used AI at work in the past 12 months, up from 42%, compared with 53% in CEE and 64% globally, while 85% use AI outside work. The main barrier is a lack of opportunities to use it in their role (25%), not a lack of skills (11%).
Caution is rewarded more than initiative. Workers say they are rewarded above all for following rules (36%, compared with 25% globally) and for avoiding mistakes (35%, compared with 28%), while using AI effectively and innovating are each rewarded in only 9% of cases.
Where employers should focus
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Explore the findings of the global edition of PwC's Hopes and Fears Survey 2026
About the survey
PwC's Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2026 gathered responses from 49,364 workers across 48 countries and regions and 29 sectors, in May and June 2026. The Romanian sample comprises 447 workers. Regional comparisons cover Central and Eastern Europe (Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary), with 2,523 respondents in total.
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