4 out of 10 jobs posted in 2023 sought entry-level candidates

39.6% of the jobs posted last year targeted entry-level candidates, i.e. those who have between 0 and 2 years of experience. 28.4% were looking for candidates with an average level of experience (2-5 years) and 21% were also accepting candidates with no experience at all, according to data presented in the eighth edition of the annual Review & Trends report by eJobs. 8.4% of the jobs were addressed to seniors, i.e. those candidates who have at least 5 years of experience, and 2.6% to managers. The percentages are based on a total of 370,000 jobs posted throughout the past year.

“The lower percentages for senior and manager positions are also explained by the fact that 2023 was a year in which we saw fewer career moves at these two professional levels. Managers and specialists were less likely to change jobs, they were more stable than in other years, and therefore fewer positions of this type were released for which it was necessary to find replacements,” says Roxana Drăghici, Head of Sales within eJobs.

Candidates with a low level of experience were not only the most sought after, but also the ones who applied the most. Thus, more than half of the 11 million applications in 2023 went to entry-level jobs. In addition, for the fourth year in a row, the 18-24 category remains the second most active age group, narrowly ahead of the 25- to 35-year-old candidates. It is also the segment that recorded an upward trend in the second half of the year, compared to the first, while the applications of candidates aged 25-35 had a slight decrease in the other months compared to the beginning of the year.

The fields in which entry-level candidates applied the most were retail, call-center / BPO, services, IT / telecom, banking, tourism, advertising / marketing / PR and the food industry.

“These are also the fields that have the most jobs available for those who are at the beginning of their careers or for those who want to engage in a new field, in which they do not have much experience. For many young people, for example, they are considered “bridges” to other fields and the place where they can learn a first set of professional skills“, explains Roxana Drăghici. 15.7% of entry-level applications went to remote jobs and only 1.7% were interested in job offers from abroad.

“Compared to the general average, we see them as less willing to go to other countries, but they represent the professional category that most wants to have the option to work exclusively from home or also from home,” says Roxana Drăghici.

According to Salario data, the eJobs brand salary comparator, the average net salary at the national level (for all fields) for those in the entry-level segment is 3,400 lei, but their salary expectations go up to 4,500 lei.