Adriana Sas
Research expert covering the Polish market
Labor market in Poland - statistics & facts
Employment flexibility and labor efficiency are the main factors that Polish entrepreneurs emphasize. However, the COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted changes in the labor market. The economic lockdown, job freezes, and layoffs were the main negative factors affecting the market. Accelerated digitization and the introduction of remote work have certainly contributed to the positives. In recent years, Poland's labor market has faced a new challenge - labor shortages. This problem was only slightly alleviated by an influx of labor migrants and refugees from Ukraine. Another challenge is high inflation, which pressures employers to raise wages and encourages workers to look for new jobs.
The employment rate for the 15-64 age group was 71.3 percent in 2022, 14.3 percentage points higher than in 2010. At the time of its accession to the European Union (EU) in 2004, Poland had the highest registered unemployment rate in the EU, reaching 19 percent. That rate has fallen from 13.4 percent to 5.2 percent in two decades. The country has maintained one of the lowest rates among EU members for several years. In 2018, for the first time in 30 years, the number of unemployed fell below one million people. Only the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak increased this number again to over one million. However, in 2021, the number of unemployed fell again, whereas new job vacancies increased. Nearly seven out of 10 employers also reported difficulties finding new employees to fill open positions in 2024.
Is there an employee market in Poland?
An employee market emerges when the labor demand exceeds the workers’ supply, giving candidates a much stronger position in negotiations with employers.The employment rate for the 15-64 age group was 71.3 percent in 2022, 14.3 percentage points higher than in 2010. At the time of its accession to the European Union (EU) in 2004, Poland had the highest registered unemployment rate in the EU, reaching 19 percent. That rate has fallen from 13.4 percent to 5.2 percent in two decades. The country has maintained one of the lowest rates among EU members for several years. In 2018, for the first time in 30 years, the number of unemployed fell below one million people. Only the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak increased this number again to over one million. However, in 2021, the number of unemployed fell again, whereas new job vacancies increased. Nearly seven out of 10 employers also reported difficulties finding new employees to fill open positions in 2024.
And it all starts with the salary…
The COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, and the looming specter of economic recession affected working life. Despite this, one in two Poles rated the labor market as good, and nearly eight in 10 were satisfied with their jobs. In 2023, only 18 percent of Poles stated they would be willing to change jobs within six months. However, salary is a key factor motivating employees to stay or change their current employer. Salary is also the main reason why Poles reject job offers. Seven out of 10 employees expect their employer to give them a pay raise. In addition to salaries, benefits are also vital. According to employees, the central role of benefits was to support employee health and finances. The most common form of benefit employers offer is co-financing holidays and a basic healthcare package. However, employees' expectations are quite different. Nearly every second employee considered an extended healthcare package the most important additional work benefit.
