Hundreds of public administration employees in eastern Romania’s Bacău County could face layoffs in the coming months following a sharp reduction in the maximum number of positions അനുവദed to local authorities under new government measures.
Bacău Prefect Andreea Negru has issued Order No. 57 of March 16, 2026, implementing provisions of Emergency Ordinance (OUG) No. 7/2026, which introduces fiscal consolidation measures aimed at strengthening the financial capacity of local administrative units.
Under the order, the maximum number of positions across the county’s 94 administrative-territorial units has been reduced to 3,090, down from 4,896 positions set for 2025 under previous legislation. The reduction reflects a cumulative 10% cut introduced by Law No. 296/2023, followed by an additional 30% decrease mandated by the new emergency ordinance.
The cap does not include certain categories of staff, such as employees in population records services, local police, teams managing externally funded projects, school transport personnel, and staff involved in post-implementation activities for projects financed through non-reimbursable external funds.
The prefect’s order was circulated to all local authorities on March 16. Later that day, Prefect Negru, alongside Deputy Prefects Valentin Ivancea and Olimpiu-Adrian Tulpan, met with local officials at the Bacău Business and Exhibition Center to discuss implementation of the new legal provisions.
According to the ordinance, local councils and the county council have 30 days from notification to adopt reorganization decisions and align staffing levels with the new limits set by the Prefect’s Office. The adopted measures must then be communicated to county public finance authorities.
The restructuring is expected to result in significant job losses, as the total number of positions has been reduced by more than 1,800 compared to last year’s staffing levels.
