A comprehensive study released by MEDIjobs, the Romanian healthcare recruitment platform, provides fresh insights into the employment preferences of medical professionals in the country. Conducted during August and September 2026, the research surveyed Romanian healthcare staff to understand the factors driving their career decisions between public and private sector positions.
The findings challenge simplified narratives about healthcare workforce migration patterns. While public healthcare institutions in Romania have long struggled with staffing shortages, the study indicates that 55% of surveyed medical professionals would accept a public sector job if salaries were equal to private sector offers. This figure suggests that financial compensation, while significant, is not the only determinant in career choices for Romanian doctors and healthcare workers.
Salary expectations remain central but not decisive
The research revealed that 45% of respondents view public sector salaries as more attractive, indicating divided perspectives within the medical profession. However, the picture becomes more complicated when examining private sector compensation structures. According to the platform’s analysis, private healthcare offers vary substantially depending on medical specialty, professional experience level, and the nature of employment arrangements.
George Hagivreta, commenting on the recruitment landscape, noted the complexity underlying employment decisions: “From a recruitment perspective, we see a more nuanced market than the general perception of salaries. Private offers vary depending on specialty, experience and form of collaboration, and for high-demand specialties, incomes can reach considerably higher levels.”
Beyond base salaries, the MEDIjobs study identified several additional factors influencing professional choices. Working conditions, bonus structures, access to modern medical equipment, and career development opportunities all play meaningful roles in determining whether medical professionals opt for public or private employment. This multifaceted assessment reflects the broader considerations that healthcare workers evaluate when making career transitions or initial employment decisions.
Implications for workforce planning
The research holds significance for healthcare administrators and policymakers grappling with workforce retention challenges. The data suggests that simply increasing public sector salaries to match private compensation might not single-handedly resolve staffing pressures. Instead, improvements to working conditions and investment in medical infrastructure could complement salary adjustments in making public healthcare careers more attractive.
The specialization-dependent nature of private compensation also highlights regional variations and sectoral disparities within Romania’s healthcare system. High-demand medical specialties command notably higher private sector compensation, potentially creating particular vulnerabilities in public healthcare provision for certain medical fields.
European context
The findings from MEDIjobs contribute to broader European conversations about healthcare workforce stability. Across the EU, medical professionals increasingly weigh multiple employment factors beyond compensation, and Romania’s experience reflects patterns observed in other Central and Eastern European healthcare systems facing similar retention challenges and private sector competition.