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Wednesday, September 22, 2004

18.000.000 USD every year...

Thousands of Romanian young people go in the US for work every summer. Only in 2003 more than 6.000 Romanian students went in USA within the “Summer Work&Travel” program. Many of them worked for around 4 months in hotels or restaurants.

We are not talking about the brain exodus phenomenon… because they are comeing back home… and they are contributing to the Romanian economy and business development. What am I talking about? ;-) It’s that simple: they are bringing in Romania somewhere around 18 millions USD.

Over 10.000 Romanians applied in 2003 for the “Summer Work&Travel” program and 6.000 of them received their Visas for work and travel in USA.

They earn there around 1400$/month - 15 times the minimum wage here in Romania. As an average, one student brings back in Romania around 3000 USD after 4 months of work and travel in the States – meaning a total of 18.000.000 USD for 6.000 students.

The best case scenario is that when the young Romanian starts up a new business in Romania, but unfortunately some of them are seriously thinking to return in the States and work there.

Why? 3.000 USD is more than enough to start your own small business in Romania while in the States 3000 USD is just a medium local monthly wage… but the first thing that amazes you when you arrive in the US is the way the employers treat their employees. Most of the Romanians students working there get promoted in a short time and enjoy the respect, responsibilities and money they gain in such a short time.

While in Romania they would gain around 2 – 300 USD and would get promoted depending on the ‘connections’ they have or only after some good years of experience.

Hopefully some of them and some of the many Romanians that now work abroad will return in Romania with experience, a new business attitude and approach and some entrepreneurial spirit.

Posted by Cristian C. Francu : 9/22/2004 02:04:00 pm