Economy, jobs and prices in Argeş (Sud-Muntenia, Romania): official figures
GDP per person was 26,200 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 66% of the EU average (77% for Romania); 12th highest of 42 counties in Romania.
How big is the economy of Argeş?
The local economy produced €8.9 billion of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Argeş?
About 252,390 people worked in Argeş in 2024 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Argeș?
At the end of August 2026 the employment agency in Argeș county had 9,849 people on its unemployment register, giving a rate of 4.30% (18th highest of 42 counties; national rate 3.26%).
Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copyIs unemployment rising in Argeș?
Registered unemployment in Argeș was 3.68% at the end of August 2025 with 8,515 people on the register, so over the year the rate rose by 0.62 percentage points and the count rose by 1,334 (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 Argeș?
Only 32.6% of the unemployed registered in Argeș county (3,210 people) were receiving unemployment benefit in August 2026; the other 6,639 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 Argeș?
Young people under 25 were 7.7% of the registered unemployed in Argeș in August 2026 (761 people), while those over 55 were 25.8%. 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 Argeș?
In July 2026 the average gross salary declared for workers in Argeș was 7,704 lei, which is 101% of the national average of 7,649 lei and 5th highest of 42 counties.
Source: Casa Națională de Pensii Publice (CNPP) · saved copyHow many employers are there in Argeș?
16,506 employers in Argeș filed social insurance returns for July 2026, covering 183,849 insured people, an average of 11.1 insured per employer (10.7 nationally). The county accounts for 3.0% of Romania's insured workforce.
Source: Casa Națională de Pensii Publice (CNPP) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Argeş?
The largest part of the economy of Argeş in 2024 was industry (manufacturing, mining and energy), at 29.4% of gross value added, followed by trade, transport, hospitality and communications (25.7%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Argeş?
Industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) made up 29.4% of output in 2024, against 19.1% for Romania.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Argeş growing?
Gross value added rose from €3.8 billion in 2015 to €8.1 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 110% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Argeş?
The number of people working in Argeş fell by 0.4% between 2015 and 2024, to 252,390.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Women made up 50.1% of the registered unemployed in Argeș in August 2026; the female unemployment rate was 4.69% and the male rate 3.97%. Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copy
- 5,029 of the registered unemployed in Argeș were long-term unemployed in August 2026 (out of work for more than 12 months, or more than 6 months for those under 25), 51.1% of the total against 38.9% nationally; 12th highest of 42 counties. Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copy
- 28.3% of the unemployed on the register in Argeș county had at most primary schooling or no schooling at all in August 2026 (28.5% nationally), and 479 had a university degree. Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copy
How Argeş compares with other counties in Romania
Registered unemployment rate, 31 August 2026 (%) (August 2026)
Argeş ranks 18 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 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Harghita | 4.79% |
| 16 | Gorj | 4.38% |
| 17 | Satu Mare | 4.31% |
| 18 | Argeş | 4.30% |
| 19 | Dâmboviţa | 4.12% |
| 20 | Tulcea | 4.05% |
| 21 | Alba | 3.95% |
Average gross monthly wage, July 2026 (lei) (July 2026)
Argeş ranks 5 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Cluj | 8,913 lei |
| 3 | Timiş | 8,209 lei |
| 4 | Sibiu | 7,806 lei |
| 5 | Argeş | 7,704 lei |
| 6 | Ilfov | 7,382 lei |
| 7 | Braşov | 7,316 lei |
| 8 | Bacău | 7,097 lei |
Long-term unemployed, share of registered unemployed, August 2026 (%) (August 2026)
Argeş ranks 12 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Long-term unemployed, share of registered unemployed, August 2026 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Mehedinţi | 57.1% |
| 10 | Ialomiţa | 54.2% |
| 11 | Sălaj | 53.7% |
| 12 | Argeş | 51.1% |
| 13 | Braşov | 50.4% |
| 14 | Vrancea | 47.5% |
| 15 | Harghita | 46.0% |
Change in registered unemployment rate, August 2025 to August 2026 (percentage points) (2025-2026)
Argeş ranks 4 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Change in registered unemployment rate, August 2025 to August 2026 (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brăila | +0.89 |
| 2 | Hunedoara | +0.70 |
| 3 | Sălaj | +0.67 |
| 4 | Argeş | +0.62 |
| 5 | Gorj | +0.54 |
| 6 | Covasna | +0.40 |
| 7 | Constanţa | +0.39 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Argeş ranks 6 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Mehedinţi | 30.8% |
| 4 | Alba | 30.3% |
| 5 | Arad | 29.6% |
| 6 | Argeş | 29.4% |
| 7 | Sibiu | 27.5% |
| 8 | Timiş | 26.0% |
| 9 | Dâmboviţa | 26.0% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Argeş ranks 23 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Covasna | 16.4% |
| 21 | Ialomiţa | 16.4% |
| 22 | Suceava | 16.3% |
| 23 | Argeş | 16.0% |
| 24 | Arad | 15.9% |
| 25 | Bistriţa-Năsăud | 15.8% |
| 26 | Neamţ | 15.7% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Argeş ranks 34 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Dâmboviţa | 17.7% |
| 32 | Arad | 17.6% |
| 33 | Sibiu | 17.5% |
| 34 | Argeş | 16.8% |
| 35 | Timiş | 16.3% |
| 36 | Constanţa | 15.9% |
| 37 | Bucureşti | 15.7% |
More on Argeş: overview · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · Sud-Muntenia · 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…)
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