The root cause of Moldova’s labor shortage is not a lack of working-age people, but rather economic conditions that make employment at home unattractive for many citizens.
Earlier, the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization stated that Moldova would need approximately 300,000 additional workers to reach the minimum labor productivity level seen in the European Union.
This week, economic expert Adrian Lupușor offered a different perspective during a television program, focusing on wage structures within the country.
“It would be fair to ask Moldovans why they are unwilling to work for companies that are demanding the large-scale import of foreign labor,” he said while discussing the labor market situation.
According to the data he cited, around 70% of employees in Moldova earn less than the national average wage. This suggests that low-paid jobs form the backbone of the labor market, contributing to persistently low productivity levels, which currently stand at only about 30% of the European average.
Lupușor also highlighted a significant gap in employment rates. While more than 70% of working-age people (20–64 years old) are employed across the European Union, Moldova’s employment rate is only 55%. In his view, this indicates substantial untapped potential among the country’s economically inactive population, many of whom are not seeking work domestically for various reasons.
At the same time, while hundreds of thousands of Moldovan citizens work in EU countries, Moldova’s labor market remains open to foreign workers. However, due to relatively low wages, few Europeans are interested in moving to Moldova for employment. As a result, employers increasingly recruit workers from non-EU countries, particularly from Asia.
Meanwhile, many Moldovans are reluctant to accept jobs that do not provide enough income to cover basic living expenses, especially amid rising utility costs. The risk of illness or unexpected financial burdens makes low-paying jobs even less attractive.
Government representatives have previously described labor migration policies as controlled and characterized claims about the need for 300,000 additional workers as “irresponsible,” noting that such scenarios remain far from reality.
President Maia Sandu has expressed frustration that some citizens believe wages do not meet their expectations, arguing that it is better to have a modest salary than no salary at all. Critics, however, suggest that efforts to address labor shortages through the recruitment of low-cost foreign workers indicate that the authorities are not prepared to create highly productive, well-paid jobs capable of slowing population outflow and labor migration.
