SABER Workforce Development Romania Country Report 2017
The global financial crisis from 2008 affected the Romanian economy and led to severe austerity measures being launched by the government in 2010. Romania then began a relatively slow but steady economic recovery. In 2015 Romania recorded the highest investment rate in the EU with 24.7 percent of GDP and real GDP growth in 2016 was 4.9 percent. Despite the economic growth and agreements with the EU to support this trend further, Romania continues to have at‐risk‐of‐poverty and social exclusion rates that are among the highest in the EU, recording in 2015 a rate of 37 percent compared to an EU average of 23.5 percent. Of particular concern for a continued economic growth are the aging of the population, the low participation of the Roma population in the labor market and the high emigration rate, especially among youth. To combat poverty and support economic growth, the design and implementation of policies to improve the quality of the workforce is essential.