Economy, jobs and prices in Harghita (Centru, Romania): official figures
GDP per person was 22,300 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 56% of the EU average (77% for Romania); 23rd highest of 42 counties in Romania.
How big is the economy of Harghita?
The local economy produced €3.9 billion of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Harghita?
About 102,420 people worked in Harghita in 2024 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Harghita?
The registered unemployment rate in Harghita county was 4.79% on 31 August 2026, compared with 3.26% nationally, with 5,781 people registered as unemployed; it ranked 15th highest of 42 counties.
Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copyIs unemployment rising in Harghita?
Registered unemployment in Harghita was 5.07% at the end of August 2025 with 6,091 people on the register, so over the year the rate fell by 0.28 percentage points and the count fell by 310 (ANOFM computes the 2026 rate on the active population at 1 January 2025 and the 2025 rate on that at 1 January 2024).
Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copyHow many people get unemployment benefit in Harghita?
Only 28.4% of the unemployed registered in Harghita county (1,641 people) were receiving unemployment benefit in August 2026; the other 4,140 were registered without benefit. Nationally 23.7% received benefit.
Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copyHow many young people are unemployed in Harghita?
Young people under 25 were 15.3% of the registered unemployed in Harghita in August 2026 (883 people), while those over 55 were 18.9%. Across Romania under-25s were 11.3% of the register.
Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Harghita?
In July 2026 the average gross salary declared for workers in Harghita was 5,947 lei, which is 78% of the national average of 7,649 lei and 13th lowest of 42 counties.
Source: Casa Națională de Pensii Publice (CNPP) · saved copyHow many employers are there in Harghita?
7,717 employers in Harghita filed social insurance returns for July 2026, covering 75,756 insured people, an average of 9.8 insured per employer (10.7 nationally). The county accounts for 1.2% of Romania's insured workforce.
Source: Casa Națională de Pensii Publice (CNPP) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Harghita?
The largest part of the economy of Harghita in 2024 was trade, transport, hospitality and communications, at 26.6% of gross value added, followed by industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (22.8%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Harghita?
Industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) made up 22.8% of output in 2024, against 19.1% for Romania.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Harghita growing?
Gross value added rose from €1.5 billion in 2015 to €3.6 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 144% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Harghita?
The number of people working in Harghita rose by 10.6% between 2015 and 2024, to 102,420.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Women made up 51.1% of the registered unemployed in Harghita in August 2026; the female unemployment rate was 5.87% and the male rate 4.01%, one of the wider gaps between the sexes in Romania. Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copy
- 2,657 of the registered unemployed in Harghita were long-term unemployed in August 2026 (out of work for more than 12 months, or more than 6 months for those under 25), 46.0% of the total against 38.9% nationally; 15th highest of 42 counties. Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copy
- 43.6% of the unemployed on the register in Harghita county had at most primary schooling or no schooling at all in August 2026 (28.5% nationally), and 211 had a university degree. Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copy
How Harghita compares with other counties in Romania
Registered unemployment rate, 31 August 2026 (%) (August 2026)
Harghita ranks 15 of 42, highest first. Registered unemployed as a share of the civilian active population at 1 January 2025 (ANOFM).
| Rank | Area | Registered unemployment rate, 31 August 2026 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Ialomiţa | 5.76% |
| 13 | Neamţ | 5.69% |
| 14 | Hunedoara | 5.34% |
| 15 | Harghita | 4.79% |
| 16 | Gorj | 4.38% |
| 17 | Satu Mare | 4.31% |
| 18 | Argeş | 4.30% |
Average gross monthly wage, July 2026 (lei) (July 2026)
Harghita ranks 30 of 42, highest first. From employer D112 returns; workers are counted where their employer is registered, which lifts Bucharest.
| Rank | Area | Average gross monthly wage, July 2026 (lei) |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Satu Mare | 6,018 lei |
| 28 | Bihor | 6,010 lei |
| 29 | Giurgiu | 5,955 lei |
| 30 | Harghita | 5,947 lei |
| 31 | Ialomiţa | 5,921 lei |
| 32 | Hunedoara | 5,895 lei |
| 33 | Teleorman | 5,894 lei |
Long-term unemployed, share of registered unemployed, August 2026 (%) (August 2026)
Harghita ranks 15 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Long-term unemployed, share of registered unemployed, August 2026 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Argeş | 51.1% |
| 13 | Braşov | 50.4% |
| 14 | Vrancea | 47.5% |
| 15 | Harghita | 46.0% |
| 16 | Suceava | 43.8% |
| 17 | Sibiu | 41.4% |
| 18 | Călăraşi | 39.0% |
Change in registered unemployment rate, August 2025 to August 2026 (percentage points) (2025-2026)
Harghita ranks 39 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Change in registered unemployment rate, August 2025 to August 2026 (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | Bucureşti | -0.15 |
| 37 | Suceava | -0.15 |
| 38 | Buzău | -0.21 |
| 39 | Harghita | -0.28 |
| 40 | Satu Mare | -0.46 |
| 41 | Mehedinţi | -0.62 |
| 42 | Teleorman | -0.66 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Harghita ranks 21 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Braşov | 23.0% |
| 19 | Bihor | 22.9% |
| 20 | Tulcea | 22.9% |
| 21 | Harghita | 22.8% |
| 22 | Bistriţa-Năsăud | 22.6% |
| 23 | Călăraşi | 22.6% |
| 24 | Covasna | 22.4% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Harghita ranks 27 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Arad | 15.9% |
| 25 | Bistriţa-Năsăud | 15.8% |
| 26 | Neamţ | 15.7% |
| 27 | Harghita | 15.6% |
| 28 | Dâmboviţa | 15.5% |
| 29 | Vâlcea | 15.5% |
| 30 | Bacău | 15.3% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Harghita ranks 11 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Iaşi | 23.0% |
| 9 | Mureş | 22.8% |
| 10 | Dolj | 22.8% |
| 11 | Harghita | 21.9% |
| 12 | Satu Mare | 21.6% |
| 13 | Tulcea | 21.2% |
| 14 | Vrancea | 21.1% |
More on Harghita: overview · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · Centru · Romania
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP per person, PPS (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3bf0fc662f56…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP, million euros (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 096e15e5fdb3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment, thousand people (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 664e4e3a6dc0…)
- Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM): Situația statistică a șomajului înregistrat la 31 august 2026: tabele pe județe și regiuni (registered unemployment tables by county and region), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 343e7489d801…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment (thousand persons) by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 222a97c302d3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gva: Gross value added at basic prices by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c656e8563bdf…)
- Casa Națională de Pensii Publice (CNPP): Situație centralizatoare privind numărul de angajatori, numărul de asigurați și salariul mediu brut pe județe, conform declarațiilor D112, iulie 2026, read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 149307a7ff89…)
- Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM): Situația statistică a șomajului înregistrat la 31 august 2025: tabele pe județe (registered unemployment tables by county), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5bf2118fcad5…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.