Professional Association: Romanian Milling and Bakery Industry Needs 5,000 Employees

The Romanian milling and bakery industry has a labor shortage of approximately 4,000- 5,000 employees, or around 10% of all workers in the sector, which are currently estimated at almost 45,000 employees.

The workforce is a big issue in Romania, as this is not the only sector suffering from the lack of employees.

“Workforce shortage is the main problem for the Romanian milling and bakery industry. I do not think that’s news to anybody. Anyone who speaks to an employer will hear this complaint,” said Pavel Virgil, vice-president of the Romanian Association of the Milling and Brewing Industry (ROMPAN).

Employers in the industry say that Romania needs to expand professional training for young people and to reform the labor market.

“We can’t find what we need, and therefore we are trying to provide professional training,” said Pavel Virgil.

The representative of ROMPAN underlined that bread consumption is on the fall in Romania, like in the other countries of the European Union, which he attributed, in part, to the growth in  breakfast products or pastries segments. While 10 years ago, the consumption of bread per capita was approx. 140-145 kg/ year, it has decreased to the current 120-125 kg per year.