ABSL report: About 1.5pct of Romania's economically active population work in outsourcing industry

The study conducted by ABSL together with KPMG estimates that the outsourcing industry generated revenues of about 4 billion euro in 2017. 

According to a study by Cushman and Wakefield, Romania ranks 1st among mature outsourcing markets, with 265 companies. 

"Romania ranks 1st in the category of mature outsourcing markets, with more than 265 companies, a motivated, well trained workforce that speaks foreign languages very well and that is competitive in terms of costs and culturally close to European values. These are the reasons for which the potential of the industry would be 300,000 employees, " reads ABSL press statement. 

Most companies operating in the local market are from France, Germany, Romania and the US, with Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iasi and Timisoara being the most attractive cities. 

The clients of outsourcing companies come mainly from banking, insurance and financial services, technology and telecommunications, professional business services and industrial and consumer goods. 

According to the report, it is estimated that the outsourcing industry in Romania can exceed 220,000 employees in the next five years. In 2018, 33 percent of employees provide Customer Service, 25 percent IT Services, and 23 percent Accounting and Finance. 

According to the same survey, the average age of the workforce is between 26 and 35 years, with women representing 61 percent of the employees in the outsourcing industry and, on average, one employee stays with the company between one and five years. Most people working in the industry have at least a university degree, and 24 percent are postgraduates. 

The study points out that 37 of the responding companies have more than 1,200 foreign employees between them. They were hired on language criteria (68 percent), implementation of new processes (35 percent), technical skills or complex experience (24 percent). 

The study was conducted on a sample of 50 ABSL members and non-members in August. 

The Association of Business Service Leaders Romania is the leading organisation representing the business services sector, bringing together the most important companies in the market that operate in areas such as Shared Services Center (SSC), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO), Research and Development (R & D).

AGERPRES