In June 2026, average employment in Poland’s enterprise sector stood at 6.4 million full-time equivalent jobs, 0.9% lower than a year earlier. At the same time, the average gross monthly wage reached PLN 9,401.58 – 5.9% more than in June 2025 and 2.5% more than in May 2026. Poland’s labour market is shrinking in terms of employment, while wages continue to rise.
The data cover enterprise-sector entities employing 10 or more people, which represent only part of the national economy. The sector includes, among others, industry, construction, trade, transport, information and communication, and most business services. It does not include public administration, education, publicly funded healthcare or microenterprises employing fewer than 10 people.
Employment: a fifth year of steadily weakening growth
Average employment in June 2026 remained broadly unchanged from May (an index reading of 100.0), while it was 0.9% lower year on year. This continues a trend visible since 2023: after strong employment growth in 2022, when annual growth exceeded 2%, the following years brought a gradual slowdown. Since mid-2024, the enterprise sector has recorded negative year-on-year employment growth.
Average employment in the enterprise sector, 01/2022–06/2026
Source: Statistics Poland. Own calculations based on Statistics Poland data.
In absolute terms, employment fell from more than 6.50 million full-time equivalent jobs in mid-2022 to 6.375 million in June 2026 – a decline of more than 125,000 jobs over four years. This fall should be interpreted with caution. Part of it reflects automation and workforce optimisation in industry, while another part results from labour supply constraints caused by demographic trends, only partly offset by the inflow of foreign workers.
Wages: growth accelerated by bonuses and pay rises
The increase in the average monthly wage in June compared with May was driven by additional payments, including awards, quarterly and annual bonuses, long-service awards and increases in basic pay. In January 2026, the statutory minimum wage rose to PLN 4,806, up 3.0% from PLN 4,666 in 2025, which also affected average wage growth across the sector.
Average gross monthly wage in the enterprise sector, 01/2022–06/2026 (PLN)
Source: Statistics Poland. Own calculations based on Statistics Poland data.
Clear seasonality is visible: annual bonuses and additional year-end payments lift average wages in December, followed by a downward correction in January and February. Despite these fluctuations, the long-term trend is clearly upward, from approximately PLN 6,100 in January 2022 to PLN 9,400 in June 2026, representing a nominal increase of more than 55% in less than four and a half years.
Wages by industry: a sharp increase in mining
Pay differences between industries remain substantial. The highest-paying segment of the enterprise sector in June 2026 was mining and quarrying, with an average gross wage of PLN 17,375.89, as much as 50.6% higher than in May. Such a large monthly increase most likely reflects one-off payments, such as quarterly or discretionary bonuses at major raw-material companies, rather than a permanent shift in wage levels. This should be verified in subsequent releases. Wages also remained high in information and communication (PLN 15,156.05) and professional, scientific and technical activities (PLN 12,658.25). At the other end of the scale were accommodation and food service activities (PLN 6,801.60) and administrative and support service activities (PLN 7,354.75).
Average gross wage by PKD section, June 2026 (PLN)
Source: Statistics Poland. Own calculations based on Statistics Poland data.
Poland’s labour market is entering a phase in which employment in the enterprise sector is gradually declining, while wage pressure remains high – a consequence of low unemployment, a rising minimum wage and limited labour supply.
Employment and wages in selected sections – June 2026
| PKD section | Employment (thousand FTE jobs) | Y/y change | Gross wage (PLN) | Y/y change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise sector total | 6,375.3 | -0.9% | 9,401.58 | +5.9% |
| Manufacturing | 2,298.3 | -1.1% | 9,036.74 | +6.6% |
| Trade; repair of motor vehicles | 1,287.6 | -0.6% | 8,445.22 | +6.1% |
| Transportation and storage | 655.2 | -0.4% | 9,070.25 | +5.3% |
| Construction | 410.6 | -0.8% | 8,887.14 | +6.3% |
| Administrative and support service activities | 378.4 | -0.5% | 7,354.75 | +4.4% |
| Information and communication | 308.6 | -0.8% | 15,156.05 | +5.9% |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 273.9 | -5.4% | 12,658.25 | +9.3% |
| Mining and quarrying | 111.9 | -6.7% | 17,375.89 | +2.4% |
| Accommodation and food service activities | 141.5 | +1.6% | 6,801.60 | +4.7% |
Professional, scientific and technical activities and mining and quarrying are particularly noteworthy. Both sections recorded clear year-on-year declines in employment, of 5.4% and 6.7% respectively, alongside solid wage growth. This is typical of a labour market in which employers reduce headcount while maintaining wage pressure for the remaining employees, often in highly skilled segments.
What this means for businesses
For HR departments and payroll budget planning, the June data confirm two parallel trends: declining labour availability in the enterprise sector and continued pressure for wage increases, particularly in highly skilled segments such as IT and professional services, as well as in industries with limited employment flexibility, including mining and energy. This pattern is likely to continue in the second half of 2026, with weak employment growth accompanied by double-digit wage increases in some sections.
Source: Statistics Poland. Own calculations based on Statistics Poland data. The figures are preliminary; where complete records are unavailable on the reporting date, Statistics Poland permits the use of estimates.
