Data from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) clearly shows that the Polish labor market needs foreigners. As reported by the portal Money.pl, the number of foreigners legally working in Poland has already exceeded 1.29 million. The absolute majority of them, over 850,000, are Ukrainian citizens.
In turn, the daily newspaper “Rzeczpospolita”, as cited by the portal Interia Business, notes that despite some market fluctuations and a slight increase in unemployment among Poles, the number of foreigners registered with the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) is steadily growing. This proves that economic migrants are taking on jobs in sectors where domestic companies suffer from chronic labor shortages.
Huge impact on Polish GDP
The impact of Ukrainian workers on the economy goes beyond filling entry-level positions. According to a recent study conducted by Deloitte for the UNHCR, refugees from across the eastern border generated as much as 2.7% of Poland’s entire GDP last year.
Reports from the National Economy Bank (BGK) only confirm these reports, directly indicating that Ukrainians already constitute 5% of all workers in Poland. Most of them are employed in industrial processing (approximately 30%), transportation, logistics services, and the broader construction sector.
From manual labor to corporations and own businesses
Currently, Ukrainian citizens residing in Poland are extremely active. Portal o2.pl cites very optimistic data – as many as 80 percent of adult Ukrainians in Poland are professionally active. By comparison, in Western countries such as Germany, this percentage is much lower, hovering around just 25 percent.
The nature of employment is also changing. Analyses by Gremi Personal show that Ukrainian workers are less willing to accept even the simplest, unskilled jobs. They seek stability, insurance, fair wages, and development opportunities. Moreover, they are eager to open their own sole proprietorships and contribute to the business services industry. Foreigners now constitute up to 20% of all foreign specialists in the Polish sector. business services.
In the face of an aging Polish society, one of the biggest challenges for the state and business in the coming years will be to retain these employees in Poland, preventing their further migration to Western markets.
Sources: Money.pl / InteriaBiznes.pl
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