13.08.2026

The Polish labour market faces a brutal reality check in the battle for talent

The economy is accelerating, driving technological transformation, but the flow of workers from abroad has been drastically restricted. On the one hand, demand for technicians and engineers is reaching record levels. On the other, the number of work permits issued has fallen by as much as 22%. Poland has officially ceased to be the first-choice destination for temporary workers. To avoid a staffing crisis, Polish companies must rethink their strategies and enter into direct competition with Western European countries for highly qualified specialists.

A shortage that is stifling innovation

The Polish labour market has been experiencing a structural labour shortage for some time, but the nature of the problem has now evolved. It is no longer only basic manual jobs that are affected by staffing shortages. The largest gaps are emerging in technical, engineering and specialist occupations, which are crucial to maintaining the competitiveness of Polish industry.

Projected demand – number of job offers per candidate (H1 2025, data from the Educational Research Institute):

Automation technician: 7.8
Hearing aid specialist: 3.2
Precision mechanic: 2.8
Telecommunications network and equipment installer: 2.7
Flexographic printer: 2.7
Machinery and equipment mechanic-fitter: 1.7
Building joinery installer: 1.5

This enormous unmet demand for highly specialised workers is now colliding with a sharp slowdown in the previous model of large-scale labour migration to Poland.

Misleading statistics vs. the hard reality of official procedures

Looking at the overall figures, the situation appears stable. Statistics Poland indicates that by the end of 2025, foreign nationals accounted for 7.1% of all people employed in Poland, compared with 6.8% a year earlier. According to information published by the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), more than 1.18 million foreigners were registered for social insurance at the same time, representing an increase of approximately 4.7% year on year. Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, 1.56 million people held valid documents authorising them to work or stay in Poland, including work permits, declarations and temporary residence permits.

However, this is only one side of the story. The other reveals a concerning trend. As experts point out, the pace of foreign worker inflows into Poland is clearly and consistently slowing. This is confirmed by revised statistics, which expose significant shifts in the migration profile. At the end of April, Rzeczpospolita, citing data from the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, reported that in 2025 the number of work permits granted to foreigners fell by as much as 22%, reaching just 251,500. This was the lowest figure in seven years.

According to experts, 2025 and 2026 have been a period of strict “tightening” of foreign nationals’ access to the Polish labour market, universities and the visa system. Stricter provisions under the Act on Foreigners have prolonged procedures and introduced new reporting obligations. As a result, Poland is no longer perceived by migrants as an easy labour market to enter. For employers, this means one thing: recruiting new workers from abroad has become an expensive, lengthy process burdened with significant legal risk.

Changing profile: skilled workers in demand

Despite bureaucratic barriers, the Polish economy has an opportunity to enter a new stage of labour migration. Eurostat data supports this trend: in 2024, Poland issued 5,900 EU Blue Cards to highly qualified workers from outside the European Union, ranking second in the EU behind Germany. Poland has begun to emerge as an attractive destination for highly skilled professionals.

– Polish employers are increasingly looking abroad for specialists in occupations where it has been difficult for years to find a sufficient number of candidates on the domestic labour market. This applies primarily to people with specific technical qualifications: CNC operators, welders with the required certifications, electricians, automation specialists, mechatronics specialists, maintenance mechanics and production engineers. The strongest demand comes from the manufacturing, automotive and logistics sectors, as well as areas related to automation and the energy transition – says Agnieszka Kukier, recruitment expert at Smart Solutions HR.

The skills profile of applicants has also changed. Foreign nationals applying for jobs in Poland today often have several years of professional experience and higher technical education. Importantly, alongside Polish language proficiency, which is necessary when working with local teams, fluency in English is becoming increasingly common.

How not to lose the battle with the West: a package, not just a salary

The Polish labour market faces a critical question: can we retain specialists for the long term? For many of them, Poland is still only a temporary stop before moving on to Germany, France or the Netherlands. In this competition, Polish companies face a difficult challenge – they cannot compete effectively on salary levels alone.

According to experts, the key to success is not a bidding war over hourly rates, but offering long-term stability. A highly qualified foreign worker will stay in Poland only if offered a comprehensive employment package. This includes not only a stable contract, but also efficient support with legalisation procedures, professional relocation assistance, including the possibility of bringing family members, access to training and an overall sense of security.

– Procedures that worked well when recruiting large groups of warehouse workers are ineffective when it comes to specialists. A skilled professional requires an individual approach. If a qualified engineer from abroad is employed in a position below their level of expertise and sees no clear career progression opportunities, the risk of them leaving for Western Europe increases dramatically – emphasises Agnieszka Kukier.

The approach to international talent has become a clear dividing line in Polish business. Large companies and multinational corporations treat foreign specialists as a long-term investment, offering them promotion opportunities and training. Smaller companies, on the other hand, still often operate reactively, focusing solely on quickly filling current vacancies without paying sufficient attention to employee development.

To succeed in the European competition for talent, Polish employers must start building their competitive advantage around flexibility, greater employee autonomy and access to modern technologies in the workplace. The golden era of cheap labour is coming to an end – the time has come for serious competition based on quality.

Press release prepared on the basis of data from ZUS, Statistics Poland (GUS), the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy (MRiPS), and the Educational Research Institute (IBE) report (H1 2025).