Barometrul Salariilor 2026: Salariul real a scăzut cu 4,5% din cauza inflației

In Romania, nominal salaries increased by 4.8% in 2025, but a 9.7% inflation rate led to a real salary decrease of about 4.5%. The salary gap between Bucharest and the national average reached 46%, while the disparity between candidates' salary expectations and employers' offers widened to nearly 30%. The cost of labor in Romania is 13.6 euros per hour, significantly lower than the EU average. The IT sector remains the highest-paying, with a median salary of 11,750 lei, while retail has the lowest at 4,700 lei. The study highlights a growing polarization in the labor market, with significant regional salary differences.