Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity Minister Florin Manole said on Saturday that he supported reducing quotas for non-EU workers in order to make room for local labour, arguing that some companies prefer foreign workers because they are "minimally paid, vulnerable and easily replaceable".
Speaking at a press conference in Arad, Manole said that at the end of last year employers had asked for the quota of non-EU workers to be increased from 100,000 in 2025 to 150,000 this year, but he backed a reduction to 75,000 amid rising unemployment.
"150,000 people coming to work in Romania would mean they would be filling certain jobs. So the business environment told me in November 2025 that there was a need for new workers. I was criticised at the time, but I would like to say now that this criticism was unfair, regarding the reduction in the quota for foreign workers. I reduced it and argued that we needed to leave more room for Romanian workers who would be affected by unemployment," Manole said.
He added that a compromise quota of 90,000 workers was ultimately approved, but noted that the higher figure requested by employers showed "a preference among some for minimally paid, vulnerable and easily replaceable labour".
"I do not believe this should be the objective of a country when it comes to its own labour market," the minister said.
Labour Minister Manole stressed that he was aware of the equal rights and respect owed to foreign workers, but said he preferred to leave "as much room as possible for Romanian citizens", who both pay his salary and elect him to represent them.
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