In 2023, 202,400 economically inactive persons in Romania wanted to work, but they were either not seeking a job or not available to start working, according to data with the National Institute of Statistics (INS), published on Friday.
In 2023, the share of underemployed persons in the total economically active population was 1.2%, down 0.1% from the previous year. The potential additional labour force comprised a number of 202.400 persons, down 0.4% y-o-y. In 2023, the number of ILO unemployed was 455.600.
„The unemployment rate is the most visible indicator resulted from the Households Labour Force Survey, used to characterise many of the economic and social aspects. Aiming to offer an enhanced and richer picture of the labour market situation and evolution, INS also publish annually a set of 3 indicators, representing categories of employed or economically inactive persons, having some similarities with unemployed persons and different degrees of attachment to the labour market (as against the standard situation of the category they are part of), namely underemployed persons; economically inactive persons who are seeking a job, but are not immediately available to start working; economically inactive persons who are not seeking a job, but are immediately available to start working. The last two indicators (economically inactive persons who are seeking a job but are not immediately available to start working’ and economically inactive persons who are not seeking a job, but are immediately available to start working’), together make up the potential additional workforce.’ Those three indicators are differentiating and overlap ‘areas’ between employment and unemployment, on one side, and between unemployed and economically inactive, on the other side,” INS explains in a press statement.
Among the economically inactive population aged 15-74 years (6.235 million persons), 202,400 were part of the potential additional labour force (down 700 from the previous year). Among them 195,300 persons were available to start working but did not look for a job.
In 2023, the ratio between this category of persons and the economically active population was of 2.4%. As many as 7,100 persons looked for a job but were not available to start working.
INS says that it should be noted that in 2023, 99,000 persons were employed with part-time working programme wishing to work more hours than in present and were available to do so, being considered underemployed. This category of persons represented 1.2% of the economically active population, 1.3% of the employed and 35.6% of the total number of persons who worked part-time. The number of underemployed persons decreased from the previous year by 11,000.
According to INS, underemployed persons are employed persons who are working part-time and who wish and are available to work more hours than at present. Potential additional labour force is the sum of two categories of persons: economically inactive persons who are seeking a job but are not available to start working and economically inactive persons who are not seeking a job, but are available to start working.
AGERPRES
