Romania raises minimum wage to 4,325 lei, prompting employer concerns and legal debate

Effective 1 July 2026 Romania’s minimum wage increased from 4,050 to 4,325 lei gross (+6.8%). Economist Cristian Păun said the rise, intended to help low‑paid workers, could instead trigger layoffs in the private sector, which is already strained by the EU’s highest electricity prices, high taxes and costly imported inputs.

Legal experts stress that any part of the wage cannot be unilaterally replaced by meal vouchers. Under Romanian labour law, changing the wage structure requires a signed addendum to the employment contract, and the statutory minimum cannot be met through vouchers. Employees who refuse such changes cannot be dismissed solely for that reason.

The National Trade Union Bloc (BNS) argues that real purchasing power of minimum‑wage earners has fallen by about 13 % in recent years and calls for the basic gross wage to be set at 5,000 lei from 1 January 2027 to restore living standards.