More than four in ten Romanian employees aged 55 and older would consider continuing to work after reaching the statutory retirement age, the study found. At 42%, the share was above the European average of 32%.
Among Romanian employees under 35, 34% said they would consider working beyond retirement age, compared with just over one in four across Europe.
The findings were published as nearly half of Romanian employers report labor shortages. According to the survey, 49% of Romanian HR decision-makers said their organizations lacked staff, compared with 52% across Europe.
“The data for Romania shows that experienced employees can play an important role in addressing staff shortages,” SD Worx Romania representatives said. “For employers, the opportunity lies in making this willingness an attractive option through flexibility, an adapted workload, and access to training, including in the use of new technologies.”
At the same time, 40% of Romanian employees aged 55 and older said they would prefer early retirement, compared with 63% of those under 35. The main reasons cited by older workers were spending more time with family or on personal matters, at 78%, health concerns, at 72%, and achieving personal life goals, at 44%.
Older Romanian employees also reported higher levels of satisfaction and engagement at work. Some 84% said they were satisfied with their jobs, compared with 72% of employees under 35, while 86% felt energetic enough to perform their work well.
They were also less likely to seek a change: only 9% were actively looking for a job at another organization, compared with 32% of younger employees.
According to the same study, despite lower use of artificial intelligence tools, 64% of Romanian workers aged 55 and older said they were confident about their job prospects even as automation changes their roles and tasks. The corresponding figure among employees under 35 was 51%.
However, only 31% of older Romanian workers felt they received adequate support to prepare for an increasingly AI-driven workplace.
“Discussions about continuing a career must start with each employee’s needs and aspirations,” SD Worx said. “People need to know that their experience is recognized and that they still have opportunities to develop.”
SD Worx supports more than 100,000 organisations, processes payroll for more than 6 million employees every month, and recorded revenue of EUR 1.3 billion in 2025.
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