Estimation of Middle Class Size in Romania

Abstract

The middle class, as its denomination suggests, is placed between the basis and the top of the social hierarchy, being the most active component of the present society (Larionescu, Mărginean, Neagu, 2006; Mărginean, 2011).The purpose of our approach is to estimate the size of the middle class from Romania and to determine the possible changes on it by the recent economic and financial crisis upon it. Actually, we have an approach of which shows the probable affiliation to the middle class starting from the position of the people on the labour market. We used two reference indicators, school training and the nature of the occupation – at least high school training and the non-manual occupations, both management and executive positions. The results obtained (AMIGO, INS data) show a substantial increase of the number of people with high school and university training during the recent years, as well as of the some occupations specific to non-manual activities, such as specialists. If we are taken into consideration the full achievement of those two requirements of the definition mentioned above, only one forth of occupied population belongs to the middle class. In the expanded variant of estimation (at least high school education for all occupied population) that value reaches to 50%.