At the end of the first quarter of 2026, Poland recorded 100,200 job vacancies. This was 14,400 more than at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, representing a quarterly increase of 16.7%. Compared with the same period of the previous year, however, the number of vacancies was slightly lower — by 800.
According to data from Statistics Poland, the job vacancy rate stood at 0.81% at the end of the first quarter of 2026. It was therefore 0.1 percentage point higher than at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, but at the same time 0.01 percentage point lower than a year earlier.
The data show that the beginning of 2026 brought a rebound in demand for workers after a weaker end to the previous year. However, this does not mean that the labour market is clearly overheating. On an annual basis, the number of job vacancies remained close to the level recorded a year earlier, while the vacancy rate declined slightly.
Highest Vacancy Rate in the Warsaw Capital Region
Demand for workers varied significantly by region. The highest job vacancy rate was recorded in the Warsaw Capital Region, where it reached 1.11%. This means that this part of the country had the highest share of unfilled positions in the total number of jobs.
The lowest job vacancy rate was recorded in the Lubelskie region, at 0.45%. The difference between the Warsaw Capital Region and Lubelskie shows that demand for workers remains concentrated primarily in the largest economic centres, especially where business services, technology, administration and the private enterprise sector are well developed.
Regional data also indicate that the labour market situation is not uniform across the country. In some voivodeships, employers are still actively looking for new workers, while in others demand for labour remains limited. This matters both for people seeking employment and for companies planning recruitment or investment in new locations.
Manufacturing Recorded the Highest Number of Vacancies
The largest number of job vacancies was recorded in manufacturing. At the end of the first quarter of 2026, this section of the economy had 20,500 vacancies. This shows that industry remains one of the main sources of demand for workers in Poland.
In manufacturing, vacancies were primarily intended for industrial workers and craft workers, as well as machine operators and assemblers. The first of these groups accounted for 36.1% of vacancies in this section, while the second represented 26.0%.
A similar structure of demand was observed in construction. In this sector, the largest share of vacancies was for industrial workers and craft workers, who accounted for 52.8% of unfilled positions. A further 25.7% were jobs for machine operators and assemblers.
Strong Demand Also in Trade, Transport and Construction
In addition to manufacturing, a significant number of vacancies was also recorded in wholesale and retail trade, transport and storage, and construction. These are sectors that traditionally generate strong demand for operational, technical and service workers.
In trade, vacancies were mainly for service workers and sales staff, but also for specialists. In transport and storage, demand was dominated by machine operators and assemblers, as well as clerical support workers.
These data show that labour demand in Poland still has a largely practical, production-oriented and service-oriented character. Companies are looking not only for highly qualified specialists, but also for workers performing technical, logistics, warehouse, sales and production process support tasks.
Highest Vacancy Rate in Telecommunications and IT
By type of activity, the highest job vacancy rate was recorded in the section covering telecommunications services, computer programming, consultancy, computing infrastructure and other information service activities. It stood at 1.54%.
This means that sectors related to information technology, digital services and computing infrastructure continue to show high relative demand for workers. Even if the absolute number of vacancies in this sector is not the highest, the share of unfilled positions in the total number of jobs remains clearly elevated.
The lowest job vacancy rate was recorded in mining and quarrying, where it stood at 0.17%. This means that this section had the smallest share of unfilled jobs among the analysed types of activity.
Labour Market Rebounds After the End of 2025, but Without a Clear Boom
The 16.7% increase in the number of job vacancies compared with the end of the fourth quarter of 2025 may indicate a seasonal and cyclical recovery in recruitment activity at the beginning of the year. Companies launched recruitment processes more frequently, and some sectors increased their demand for workers after a period of lower activity.
At the same time, the year-on-year comparison presents a more moderate picture of the labour market. The number of vacancies was 800 lower than at the end of the first quarter of 2025, while the vacancy rate fell slightly by 0.01 percentage point. This suggests that despite the quarterly rebound, the market has not entered a phase of rapid growth in demand for workers.
From the employers’ perspective, Statistics Poland’s data may indicate a return to higher recruitment activity after a weaker end to the year. From the workers’ perspective, the situation remains varied — employment opportunities are greater in regions and sectors with high vacancy rates, but the market does not offer the same opportunities everywhere.
Vacancy Structure Shows Demand for Specific Occupations
What matters is not only the number of job vacancies, but also their occupational structure. The data indicate that in many sectors employers are primarily looking for workers with specific practical qualifications.
In industry and construction, demand is dominated by industrial workers, craft workers, machine operators and assemblers. In trade, service workers and sales staff play a more important role, while in professional, scientific and technical activities, specialists are the key group.
This structure of vacancies shows that the Polish labour market still needs both technical and operational workers as well as specialists. Staff shortages do not concern only highly qualified professions, but also positions related to production, logistics, sales and customer service.
