2023 looks set to be the first year that employers take concrete steps to bring employees back to office hours, with the number of remote jobs posted in the past month at a three-year low and half compared to the same period last year. This despite the fact that the interest of candidates for jobs that can be done from home remains high, and the number of applications in the last month is at the highest level in the last 4 years.
“The massive return of employees to the office has already been discussed for more than a year, but so far this has been done in small steps, in stages and without seeing a major impact on the number of remote positions put on the market. The explanation lies in the fact that employers knew that this option became, over time, an important condition for those looking to get hired, a condition that they could not ignore in a climate characterized by a shortage of candidates”, says Roxana Drăghici, Head of Sales within eJobs, the largest recruitment platform in Romania.
If during the period February – March 2022, almost 3,000 remote jobs were posted on ejobs.ro, in the same period of 2023 the number dropped to approximately 1,500. For these, more than 116,000 applications were registered in the last month of this year, while between February and March 2022, the number of applications for remote jobs was approximately 104,000.
The call – center / BPO sector continues to market the most remote jobs, but by half, from a numerical point of view, compared to February – March 2022. Also at a substantially reduced pace compared to last year, but with a presence on the area of remote opportunities also includes employers from advertising / marketing / PR, IT / telecom, training and services. Most of the positions posted in the last month are for entry level candidates with a maximum of two years of experience.
While the number of jobs that allow working from home has decreased, the volume of applications they generate is increasing, with candidates showing the highest interest in the idea of working from the office in four years. Thus, the 116,000 applications registered in the last month for these jobs represent 13.5% of the total applications, more than 10 times more than for jobs abroad, for example.
“Although the trend is to bring people back to the office, for employers who are struggling to find the right candidates, this type of flexibility can become a major competitive advantage by giving employees the freedom to choose how they want to work – at the office, from at home or hybrid”, says Roxana Drăghici.
The most interested in these jobs are the candidates in the 25-35 age category, followed by those in their first job or who have recently entered the labor market, respectively young people between the ages of 18 and 24. The 36-45 year old segment generates three times less applications for this job category, while for candidates who are over 45 years old it is an option that they hardly consider, with less than 5,000 registered of applications in the last month.
Time to charge your employer rental fees for turning your home/apartment into an office.