Ambassador Giungi: Workforce shortage, an issue for many Italian-owned companies in Romania

Many Italian businesses operating in Romania would be willing to invest more, but they are hampered by workforce shortage and returning home the Romanians from abroad is not easy at all, Italian Ambassador in Bucharest Marco Giungi told a specialist forum on Wednesday. 

Many of our companies would be willing to invest more, but they are hampered by the lack of workforce. Our companies are capable to manage change. Whenever I have the opportunity I say that there are over 20,000 Italian companies operating in Romania, offer jobs to over 400,000 people. These companies want to stay here, we have investment strategies, but there is no magic wand. We don't have something to teach others, but we need to discuss. If workforce is an issue, we either bring labor from outside, or change the production pattern. A great part of the Romanians abroad are in Italy. They can be a workforce resource for home. Human resource may come from abroad, but returning the Romanians from the diaspora is not easy, there are Romanians who have been living in Italy for 20 years now and who have built families there. One has to offer them conditions to persuade them to come to Romania. Practically, we cannot talk about moving the population, no government can impose this, but just facilitate a move. Bringing home the Romanians from abroad is possible, and some businesses here are doing it, with all the inherent difficulties. Nothing is easy, and managing change isn't either, said the diplomat. 

In his turn, Giovanni Villabruna, president of the Confindustria Romania employers confederation, argued that Romania seems to lack the necessary capacity to bring back Romanian workers from abroad. 

There's a lack of workforce in Romania and the existing resources are leaving for abroad, it seems that the country does not have the capacity to bring back Romanian workers from abroad. We want to find solutions to stop this hemorrhage of people who are headed abroad, a phenomenon that will only ruin Romania economically. As their children are born in other nations, they are bound to not contribute to the development of their own country, I am talking here about young people aged over 25, Villabruna said. 

Confindustria Romania organized on Wednesday the "Both Worlds 2018" economic forum under the motto "People & Work".