Labor force problems in transportation

Professor Radu Pencea writes about the likelihood of an emigration wave after January 1st 2007, when Romania will join the EU. The story warns about possible problems in the transportation field.

On average, a person earns an hourly pay of 2$ in Romania. This compares to 10$ in Greece, not to mention Switzerland, Norway or Great Britain. Because of differences in income, many people, mostly youngsters, emigrate in order to work in other European countries. Labor force has especially affected construction works and agriculture. In the transportation field, labor force migration was slow (with the notable exception of maritime transport). This as a result of higher incomes than in other fields of activity, but also because of the dailyallowance, which is quite valuable especially for those who make shipments abroad. It is expected that highly qualified people will most certainly emigrate (especially those who speak English, German and French), and the transportation business will not make an exception. Transporters might be forced to hire foreign citizens, most likely from neighbouring countries, such as Republic of Moldova.