The data published on Wednesday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) regarding the population's participation in economic activity show that Romania's problem is not the lack of people, but the reduction of their participation in economic activity, believes the National Confederation for Women's Entrepreneurship (CONAF).

'Compared to 2024, Romania's employed population decreased by almost 159,000 people, while the inactive population of 15 years increased by over 95,000, and the number of unemployed increased by almost 50,000 people. Within these developments, however, lies the indicator that deserves the most attention. The number of people classified as homemakers increased in a single year by over 45,000 people, from 1.316 million in 2024 to 1.361 million in 2025. Almost 98% of these are women. This means that almost half of the increase in the inactive population is explained by the increase in this single category,' the organization said in a release sent on Wednesday.

The increase in the homemaker category occurs in a year in which the labor shortage continues to be cited as one of the main brakes on economic development, CONAF says. According to the cited source, the work of these women does not disappear when they leave the employment statistics - they move into the household, into caring for children and the elderly.

At the same time, the population aged 15 and over decreased by only 14,000 people, remaining almost unchanged, which shows that the deterioration cannot be explained exclusively by demographic developments. In contrast, the economy lost almost 159,000 people from the employed population, while inactivity and unemployment increased cumulatively by almost 145,000 people.

'The INS data show that Romania's problem is not the lack of people, but the reduction of their participation in economic activity. The INS report also highlights a phenomenon relevant to the business milieu: the reduction in employment is mainly found in the category of employers and self-employed workers, while the number of employees remains relatively stable. This indicates an erosion of the domestic productive base and the economy's capacity to generate entrepreneurial initiative and added value,' the press release emphasizes.

In this context, the president of CONAF, Cristina Chiriac, shows that the INS report is the bill for decisions postponed for years.

'For years, public policies have treated labor market participation as a consequence of economic growth, not as one of its conditions. If the employed population decreases, inactivity increases, and the category of homemakers advances in a single year by over 45,000 people, the conclusion is clear: Romania is shrinking its own active labor force base. (...) This is the line that CONAF is drawing today: women's participation in the labor market is a national economic agenda. Whoever ignores this reality delays the resolution of one of the most costly structural vulnerabilities of the Romanian economy, and manages the decline,' said Cristina Chiriac.

The report 'The Economic Status of Women in Romania - 2026', currently being finalized, analyzes the economic impact of women's low participation in the labor market, the macroeconomic costs of inactivity and the measures through which this reserve of human capital can be capitalized for the benefit of the competitiveness of the Romanian economy.

CONAF was established as a result of the need to create a modern, sustainable and equitable entrepreneurial culture, not only for female entrepreneurship, but also for the entire business environment. The organization has 33 branches, three federations, 16 employers' associations, 55 associations and 15,000 companies, with over 245,000 employees.

Among the projects carried out by CONAF are the 'Youth Pact', the 'Marathon for Entrepreneurship Education', the 'Entrepreneurial Vocation Forum', the '24 Trends for 2024' Forum, SupraTAX, 'DigitalUP' 'Labor Pact' - in partnership with FPPG, the 'Entrepreneurial Education Pact', the 'Romanian Venture Forum' - the series of open dialogues, and 'Romanian Tourism: Between Impasse and Opportunity'. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Andreea Marinescu; EN - writing by: Bogdan Gabaroi)