Employment in Moldova

Local terms include angajare for hiring, salariat for an employee, contract individual de muncă for an individual employment contract, loc de muncă for a workplace and muncă nedeclarată for undeclared work. The Codul muncii is the main national framework. A person can apply directly to companies or search vacancies through angajat.md. ANOFM and its territorial offices, STOFM, provide free counselling, job intermediation, training and placement, including services for people who already have a job and want to change it. Ordinary hiring does not require prior registration with ANOFM. Registration as a jobseeker generally requires a valid identity document or residence permit together with education or qualification records. Unemployed status adds conditions concerning active job search, availability for work and the legal requirements for that status. Employment capacity generally begins at age 16. From age 15, only light work is allowed and written consent from a parent or legal representative is required; employment below age 15 is prohibited. Moldova citizens, foreign citizens and stateless persons can be employed subject to migration-law limits. An employer may not refuse hiring without a justified reason, and discrimination based on sex, race, ethnicity, religion, domicile, political option or social origin is prohibited. The employer and worker conclude a written individual employment contract. Before hiring, the employer provides written information about the contract duration, start date, profession, qualification or function, duties, workplace, risks, rights and duties, pay, compensation, working and rest arrangements, and notice periods. The normal form is an indefinite contract. A fixed-term contract can last up to five years and requires a statutory temporary reason. If an employer admits someone to work without a written contract, the employment relationship is presumed indefinite and the employer has to regularize it. Undeclared work can undermine pay records, insurance coverage and future benefit claims; suspected violations can be discussed with or reported to the Inspectoratul de Stat al Muncii. A probation period applies only when the contract contains a probation clause. For an indefinite contract it generally lasts no more than three months, or up to six months for management or responsible posts. For an unqualified worker it can last no more than 30 days. For a fixed-term contract lasting three to six months, the limit is 15 days; for a fixed-term contract longer than six months, it is 30 days. Probation is excluded for people under 18, competitive appointments, transfers, pregnancy, disability, elected posts and contracts lasting no more than three months. The worker keeps full employment rights during probation. Normal working time is generally no more than 40 hours per week. Protected categories can receive reduced schedules. The statutory minimum annual paid leave is 28 calendar days, in addition to special or social leave where the relevant conditions apply. The employer has to pay wages on time and in full, provide written contractual terms, communicate internal rules and occupational safety information, and apply any relevant collective agreement. Payroll administration includes withholding income tax and arranging mandatory social and health insurance. CNAS services, including ACCES CPAS, provide access to contribution and employment history and support benefit administration. The national minimum wage for a full schedule is 6,300 MDL per month from 1 January 2026. The forecast average wage for 2026 is 17,400 MDL per month, but it is not an individual wage entitlement or an offer. In the second quarter of 2026, the gross average wage was 16,895.7 MDL, with 17,910.4 MDL in the real sector and 13,827.3 MDL in the budget sector. The social-insurance contribution base cannot fall below the minimum wage in proportion to the working time. For part-time work, the social contribution floor is 25% of the contribution calculated on the minimum wage. The responsible institutions include the Ministerul Muncii și Protecției Sociale, ANOFM, STOFM, angajat.md, the Inspectoratul de Stat al Muncii, CNAS, SFS and CNAM. The institutions handle different functions: employment services, labour inspection, social insurance, tax administration and health insurance. In 2025, Moldova recorded 805,000 people in the labour force and 774,000 employed people, an employment rate of 40.2% and unemployment of 3.8%. The employment rate was 47.0% in urban areas and 34.3% in rural areas, 36.5% for women and 44.5% for men. Labour-force participation among people with disabilities was 14.6%, and 14.5% of people aged 15 to 24 were not in employment, education or training. The 2025 labour-force data exclude the left-bank territory and Bender, and a methodology change limits direct comparison with earlier years. Employment can end through written resignation, written agreement between the parties, circumstances specified by law, employer initiative, expiry of a fixed-term contract, completion of the work or the end of seasonal work. A resignation notice normally lasts 14 calendar days. A shorter period can apply for documented statutory grounds. The employee can generally withdraw the resignation within seven calendar days. The termination order states the legal basis and is communicated no later than the release date. The employer pays the final wage and provides the employment documents due at termination. The worker can seek advice from the Inspectoratul de Stat al Muncii and use court remedies for employment disputes or violations.