At the end of November 2025, the number of people working in Poland stood at 15,093.1 thousand, according to data from Statistics Poland. This was 0.4% lower than in November 2024 and 0.2% lower than a month earlier. Source of data: GUS.
The data covers working people living both in Poland and abroad. Each person is counted only once, in their main job. This means the figures show the number of people working, not the total number of contracts or jobs.
Men continued to account for the majority of workers. At the end of November 2025, they represented 52.6% of all working people. Their share was 0.1 percentage point lower than a year earlier and unchanged from the previous month. The number of working women fell by 0.2% year on year, while the number of working men decreased by 0.7%.
Compared with October 2025, the number of working women declined by 0.1%, while the number of working men fell by 0.3%. The data therefore point to a slight decline in both groups, with a stronger decrease among men.
Statistics Poland also points to the gradual ageing of the working population. The average age of working people at the end of November 2025 was 43.1 years, compared with 42.8 years a year earlier. The median age was 43 years, one year higher than at the end of November 2024.
Manufacturing remained the largest area of employment. At the end of November 2025, it employed 2,723.0 thousand people, or 18.0% of all workers. However, its share was 0.3 percentage point lower than a year earlier and 0.1 percentage point lower than at the end of October 2025.
The second-largest area was wholesale and retail trade, including the repair of motor vehicles. It accounted for 14.2% of all working people. This share was 0.3 percentage point lower than a year earlier but unchanged compared with October 2025.
Among the largest sections of the economy, the biggest annual decline in the number of working people was recorded in agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishing, where employment fell by 4.1%. The number of workers also decreased in trade and motor vehicle repair, by 2.4%, and in manufacturing, by 2.0%. In construction, the number of working people remained broadly unchanged from the previous year.
At the same time, increases were recorded in public administration and defence, including compulsory social security, where the number of working people rose by 2.4%. In education, the figure increased by 2.1%. The data therefore show shifts in the structure of Poland’s labour market: declines in parts of production, trade and agriculture, alongside growth in selected areas of public services.
The gender structure of employment remains strongly differentiated by sector. Health care and social assistance, as well as education, were the most feminised areas. The highest share of men was recorded in mining and quarrying, and in construction.
Employees remained the dominant group of working people. At the end of November 2025, there were 11,912.5 thousand employees, accounting for 78.9% of all working people. This share was unchanged both compared with November 2024 and October 2025.
The second important group consisted of self-employed people, together with contributing family workers. As of 30 November 2025, they accounted for 20.9% of all working people. This share also remained unchanged in both annual and monthly terms.
The GUS data indicate a slight weakening in the number of working people in Poland, but without sharp changes in the structure of the labour market. The key trends include a modest decline in the overall number of workers, a rising average and median age, and fewer people working in agriculture, trade and manufacturing, alongside growth in public administration and education.
