Moldova’s Ministry of Labour and Social Protection is set to expand its workforce, adding new positions as part of an internal restructuring effort led by Minister Alexei Buzu.
The move follows a similar decision by Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi, who recently increased staffing levels in his ministry.
Moldova Labour Ministry expansion adds new positions
According to the plan, the ministry’s staff will grow by 16 positions, increasing the total number of employees from 126 to 142. The number of state secretaries will also rise from three to four.
Despite assurances from authorities that the budgetary impact will be limited, the cost of employing additional staff for the remaining seven months of 2026 is estimated at around 3.5 million lei.
Officials say the funding will be covered through internal resources, including reallocations within existing programmes.
New departments focus on demographics and EU integration
One of the main justifications for the expansion is demographic pressure. The ministry plans to establish a dedicated unit focused on demographic policy.
This comes against the backdrop of Moldova’s ageing population and ongoing emigration, trends that continue to reshape the labour market and social system.
Additional staffing is also planned for departments dealing with digitalisation and European integration. The latter is expected to handle communication and coordination with European funding mechanisms.
Questions over priorities and spending
The decision has raised questions about spending priorities, particularly as Moldova faces broader fiscal constraints and social challenges.
While the government frames the changes as necessary to improve administrative capacity, critics argue that reallocating funds potentially including those linked to social programmes may add pressure to already strained public resources.
The development highlights ongoing debates over how Moldova balances administrative expansion with the need to address demographic and economic challenges.
