Albița — the largest road gateway to the Republic of Moldova
Vaslui County
More trucks pass through Albița than through any other crossing between Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Behind the customs point lies an agricultural base of almost 300,000 hectares of arable land, a food industry that has proven it can scale, and the lowest labour cost in the country.
Territory
The county at a glance
Economy
Economic profile
Agriculture and the food industry are the foundation of the county’s economy: almost 300,000 hectares of arable land and 11,277 hectares of vineyards support processors that have reached national scale. Apparel, footwear and bearings complete the industrial profile.
Regional comparison
The county within the North-East Region
Infrastructure
Connectivity and access
The case
Why invest here
The average net wage was RON 3,446 in 2023, with a forecast of RON 4,111 for 2025.
The unemployment rate, 7.9% in 2023, is the highest in the country — immediate availability for labour-intensive investment.
Albița concentrates the largest road freight traffic between the two countries.
291,800 hectares of arable land and a processing industry that has already reached hundreds of millions of lei in turnover.
About 3,000 hectares of vineyards, of which 650 at Domeniile Averești, with local varieties — Zghihară de Huși and Busuioacă de Bohotin.
The county benefits from the highest regional aid intensity in Romania.
Opportunities
Where you can invest now
Vaslui Industrial Park
Approximately 30 hectares on the former Termica site. The managing company was approved in May 2026 and funds were allocated for the feasibility study; the investment is to be financed through the North-East Regional Development Agency.
Logistics at Albița
Warehousing, customs bonded storage and transit services for flows towards the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.
Agri-food processing
Local raw material, at the scale of almost 300,000 hectares of arable land, supports the expansion of processing capacity — the direction in which the county’s largest employers have already grown.
Workforce
Education and the labour market
The county does not have a university centre of its own; technical training takes place in specialised high schools, while Iași, about 70 km away, provides access to higher education. The average net wage was RON 3,446 in 2023, with a forecast of RON 4,111 for 2025 — the lowest in Romania. The unemployment rate, 7.9% in 2023, is the highest in the country, meaning immediate availability of labour for labour-intensive investment.
Heritage
Tourism and culture
The Battle of Vaslui — Podul Înalt, 10 January 1475, Stephen the Great’s victory — is the county’s historical landmark. The „Vasile Pârvan” Museum in Bârlad has operated since 1914, while the Vine and Wine Museum in Huși holds a collection of about 22,000 bottles, the oldest from 1949. The Mavrocordat Palace, built in 1892, and the episcopal complex at Huși complete the heritage.
Quality of life
Why live here
Vaslui is a county of hills, vineyards and large villages, with three towns that share the roles: Vaslui the administrative centre, Bârlad the industrial and cultural one, Huși the wine town. The cost of living is the lowest in Romania.
Vaslui County Hospital no. 2 — two five-storey buildings with 248 beds, an investment of RON 389 million, mostly from the Health Programme 2021–2027 — is under construction. Bârlad and Huși have their own municipal hospitals.
National colleges in Vaslui, Bârlad and Huși, a network of technical and agricultural high schools linked to the county’s economic profile; Iași, about 70 kilometres away, provides access to higher education.
The „Vasile Pârvan” Museum in Bârlad, open since 1914, with an art section and a planetarium; the „Ștefan cel Mare” County Museum; the Vine and Wine Museum in Huși, with a collection of about 22,000 bottles; the „Victor Ion Popa” Theatre in Bârlad; the Mavrocordat Palace.
The Huși wine region, with about 3,000 hectares of vineyards and its own varieties — Zghihară de Huși and Busuioacă de Bohotin — the Tutova hills and forests, the reservoirs and the historical routes linked to the Battle of Podul Înalt.
Romania’s most affordable county in terms of costs, about 70 kilometres from Iași International Airport.
Public investment
Major County Council projects
Vaslui County Hospital no. 2
RON 389 million, of which RON 327 million from the Health Programme 2021–2027: two five-storey buildings with 248 beds. Works resumed in November 2024 and the refinancing was signed in May 2026.
The Bârlad–Laza–Codăești strategic county road
82.6 km and RON 289.4 million, on the DJ245, DJ245M, DJ246 and DJ247 route
The 2026 county budget
RON 511 million in revenue, with about RON 232 million for transport and RON 222 million for social assistance
The county’s recovery plan programme
about EUR 60 million across 66 projects; cross-border cooperation through Interreg NEXT Romania–Republic of Moldova 2021–2027
Looking for details on investing in this county?
The County Council is the first point of contact for investors. EURONEST can facilitate the connection and support the preparation of projects of common interest across the six counties.
OPEN THE COUNTY COUNCIL WEBSITE →Profile prepared by the EURONEST Intercommunity Development Association. Figures state the year and the source wherever these are published. Economic data come mainly from the county profiles of the National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis, and demographic data from the 2021 population and housing census.