In 2024, the temporary labor market grew by 3–4% both in terms of revenue and number of employees, according to AFSRU (the Romanian Association of Human Resources Services Providers). How was 2025 for temporary work agencies? A more challenging year than 2024, with fewer recruitment projects and a need for business recalibration to withstand current economic conditions.
Sorina Donisa, CEO of Prohuman APT & President of AFSRU, Sebastian Rusu – Vice President of the Committee for Labor and Social Protection, Alexandru Ionescu, General Manager of Trenkwalder Romania, and Narcis Bucilă, Attorney at Law specialized in Labor Law, present at the HR Insights Forum conference, share their views:
- What the labor market looks like at the end of 2025
- What we can do better to overcome difficult periods and integrate temporary work into business
- How the Temporary Staffing Industry Evolved in 2025
- Candidate behavior in a difficult economic context
- State initiatives to encourage employers to adopt temporary work
- How the Law Supports Labor Flexibility and Which Cases Reach the Courts
What the labor market looks like at the end of 2025
“We’re seeing a lot of extremes. There are industries still growing but struggling with candidate shortages (green energy, construction). IT continues to hire, but not at the same pace as before, and it also faces a shortage of qualified talent,” says Sorina Donisa, CEO of Prohuman APT & President of AFSRU.
“We can’t generalize across industries, but we do see companies hiring—obviously at lower volumes than in 2024. Unfortunately, we also see companies making layoffs, including collective layoffs. Recruitment volumes are not what they were 2–3 years ago. At the same time, we cannot ignore what’s happening at European and global levels. I would say that Romania is still doing better than Western Europe,” adds the AFSRU President.
What we can do better to overcome difficult periods and integrate temporary work into business
We are seeing many layoffs and radical business decisions. The cause? Reduced business volume. But how can HR service providers and employers survive?
“It is extremely important for HR service providers to collaborate within an association. Only together can we grow this industry. Otherwise, if we cannot sit at the same table, we have no chance to increase the 0.2–0.3% penetration rate of temporary work in Romania. We do have a chance to grow this rate through the legislation already adopted. I spoke with associations from other countries and it’s clear we need an appropriate legal framework, but I believe each of us can be a promoter of flexible work. If we stay united and grow the industry together, we all benefit,” says Sorina Donisa.
AFSRU represents more than 25,000 temporary workers, but through constant annual hiring, members reach around 40,000. Across Europe, temporary work is adopted at much higher rates than in Romania. Poland, for example, has 17 million employees—similar to Romania’s population—and 700,000 temporary workers. Germany has approximately 36 million employees and 500,000 temporary workers. Hungary has 4.7 million employees and over 100,000 temporary workers. Clearly, companies in these countries rely heavily on labor flexibility.
Behind the Romanian numbers, temporary staffing agencies face many challenges.
“My colleagues abroad told me: ‘For you, the crisis is actually a big opportunity, because all companies should be using temporary workers,’” says Alexandru Ionescu, General Manager of Trenkwalder Romania.
How 2025 unfolded for temporary staffing agencies
For Trenkwalder Romania, 2025 was a difficult year. Demand for temporary staffing decreased in certain segments. They also saw a decline in executive search activity, where the labor market remained stable. However, recruitment demand increased for specialized positions and for middle and top management roles.
“In temporary staffing, we have around 1,000 temporary employees. We are seeing a decline here as well, but we shifted toward industries that are growing (logistics, transport, and e-commerce). We have at least three major e-commerce clients that are continuously expanding,” says Alexandru Ionescu. Alexandru Ionescu, Director General Trenkwalder Romania.
“There is also an increase in contract durations of 3–6 months and 6–12 months, which is a plus for staffing agencies because it helps us recover our investment in recruitment and employee administration,” he adds.
Temporary work can be the best option in today’s economic context—for short-term projects or for Try & Buy/Temp-to-Perm arrangements. “I encourage you to use the Temp-to-Perm model. The temporary period can be up to 6 months, after which the person can be hired internally. Think about the flexibility you gain. You can test the employee for 3–6 months, benefit from a favorable notice period, and then move them to a permanent contract. That’s flexibility,” he explains.
Another benefit: HR teams save time and can focus on actions that motivate employees or grow the business. Recruitment requires significant effort—job ads, online visibility, sourcing. An HR company handles all these steps. You simply explain what you want in your future colleague.
Candidate behavior in a difficult economic context
HR leaders notice that top professionals are very stable. “They’ve stepped back from the market, rarely checking LinkedIn or simply replying with classic messages like ‘I’m not interested in a change,’” says Alexandru Ionescu.
Regarding resumes, he notes unpleasant experiences: “When a recruiter reviews a CV, they also check LinkedIn. We’ve had cases where LinkedIn shows one experience and the CV another. Candidates don’t realize recruiters will cross-check their background.”
He adds: “I recently asked a candidate: ‘Give me an example of a project you worked on in that company. Give me one partner you collaborated with.’ He mentioned someone who, at that time, according to LinkedIn, wasn’t even at the company.”
HR specialists urge candidates to pay more attention to how they present themselves. “I recommend aligning your CV with what you list on LinkedIn. LinkedIn gives us a much clearer picture, because it’s hard to display something untrue there—your former colleagues or direct manager can easily contradict it,” says Ionescu.
What initiatives is the state taking to encourage employers to adopt temporary work?
Romanian authorities should support vocational schools that produce future temporary workers. In Brașov, for example, the first German-style vocational school—Kronstadt—was established, later replicated in other counties. The city hall and foreign companies partnered to support around 400 students training for a trade.
“In Brașov companies, qualified workers earn more than a bank inspector. A new student dorm was recently opened to attract youth to vocational trades. The Romanian state should focus on such investments,” says Sebastian Rusu, Vice President of the Committee for Labor and Social Protection.
The Committee’s initiatives for supporting temporary work
“In the Labor Committee, we create a stable, predictable legislative framework. We meet with business representatives, discuss, and gather feedback. We’ve legislated on areas related to the Labor Code. I encourage you to participate in committee meetings. NGOs attend as well. You can register as civil society organizations and sign up online via the Chamber of Deputies website. All draft laws are public,” says Sebastian Rusu.
He is working with the Committee to simplify and clarify employer obligations.
“Recently, I proposed an amendment to the Labor Code to remove the term ‘simple signature,’ leaving only ‘advanced’ and ‘qualified’ electronic signature. The text previously referred to all three, then only to two, which left employers vulnerable to differing interpretations by labor inspectors. We addressed an issue affecting the entire country. The initiative is registered with the Chamber of Deputies, has gone to the Labor Committee for approval, then it will proceed to the Senate and finally return to the Chamber,” he explains.
Does the law support labor flexibility?
Article 118 of the Labor Code refers to work flexibility.
Art. 118 – Individualized working schedule
(1) The employer may establish individualized working schedules for all employees, including those benefiting from caregiver leave, with their agreement or at their request, and such schedules may be set for a limited period of time.
(2) Individualized working schedules involve a flexible method of organizing working time.
(3) The daily working time is divided into two periods: a fixed period during which all employees are simultaneously present at the workplace, and a variable, mobile period during which the employee chooses the hours of arrival and departure, while observing the required daily working time.
Work flexibility does not mean only flexible schedules; it also includes flexible workplaces and combinations of the two. All these options are legally possible.
“When implementing flexibility, companies must ensure they don’t lose track of working hours. This is crucial for employers,” says Narcis Bucilă, Attorney at Law.
“Employees can take employers to court and request salary rights for work they did not perform. Also, labor inspectors require a clear record of working hours, and its absence leads to sanctions,” he adds.
If you tell employees: “Come in later” or “Leave early to avoid traffic,” should you include this in the internal regulations?
Yes—such options should be included in internal rules and kept rare, because inspections may occur at any time. Inspectors analyze employment documents, including working schedules.
Does the attendance sheet still exist?
Yes. The employer must present either the physical record or an electronic system in court.
What temporary work cases reach courts?
“My experience in court mostly relates to interpretation issues regarding employer rights and obligations. We’ve had cases where temporary agencies were sanctioned by labor inspectors for obligations that theoretically and practically were not theirs—issues related to health and safety or matters that should have been covered in the assignment contract,” says Bucilă.
Another common issue: notice periods for temporary employees. “Be careful to respect the notice period stipulated in the Labor Code. Some temporary agencies agree to shorter notice periods than legally allowed,” he warns.
He clarifies when the 20-day notice must be granted: “If a temporary employee has a one-month assignment, they can be dismissed at any time during this period because it is considered a probation period under the Labor Code. After three months, things change. If the contract is longer than three months, the 20-day notice is mandatory.”
What if the assignment ends earlier than planned?
When the employer ends a temporary employment contract before the assignment is completed, the provisions of the Labor Code apply, which state that the temporary work agency must follow the same legal requirements applicable to regular employees.
This provision appears in Article 100 of the Labor Code:
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Art. 100 – Dismissal of the temporary employee
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The temporary work agency that dismisses a temporary employee before the term stipulated in the temporary employment contract, for reasons other than disciplinary ones, is required to comply with the legal regulations governing the termination of the individual employment contract for reasons not related to the employee.
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However, we also have Article 95, paragraph 4 of the Labor Code, which temporary work agencies rely on:
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(4) The temporary employment contract ends upon the completion of the assignment for which it was concluded, or if the user company terminates the collaboration before the end of the assignment, in accordance with the terms of the assignment contract.
“In practice, courts generally expect temporary work agencies to comply with the 20 working days’ notice period. However, agencies choose temporary staffing precisely because of the provisions in Article 95, paragraph 4 of the Labor Code. If a company no longer needs a temporary employee and notifies the agency, the agency will incur losses because it must pay the employee during the notice period between the moment the company ends the collaboration and the end of the 20-day notice. The solution lies in clarifying Article 95, paragraph 4 — for the termination to be considered an automatic termination,” explains Alexandru Ionescu, CEO of Trenkwalder Romania.
“It is important to agree with social partners on what the notice period should be so that everyone applies the same rules,” adds Sorina Donisă, CEO of AFSRU.
Flexibility in the workplace begins when employers prioritize their employees As a leader, you should communicate in ways that reinforce the importance of employees and understanding their needs. When the working schedule is clearly stated in the employment contract and the internal regulations explain how it applies, flexibility becomes implementable.
Use flexible work arrangements (remote work, flexible work systems) and flexible working schedules (individualized schedules, part-time arrangements, or combinations of these). Combine flexible workplaces with flexible working hours and display this information at the company premises.
Flexibility means finding the balance between the employee’s needs and the employer’s willingness to offer flexibility—allowing both parties to benefit. As an employer, participate in discussions within parliamentary committees to make known the legal challenges you face. This way, you can contribute to updating outdated legislation and improving employer–employee relations.
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The Race for Optimization: How to Reduce Company Costs Without Laying Off Employees
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