Economic instability, the risk of being replaced by AI or technology, and restructuring at employers are currently the most common sources of work-related stress among Poles, according to a new ManpowerGroup analysis. Only one in four respondents admits to having no job-related worries at all. Women report greater concerns about their professional security than men, as do remote workers.
ManpowerGroup asked employees in Poland and worldwide what worries them most about their jobs. At the top of the list of Polish workers’ concerns is economic uncertainty, cited by one in three employees (33%). This is followed by the risk of being replaced by AI or technology and concerns about restructuring, each indicated by 20% of respondents.
What is keeping employees awake at night today?
Further down the list of professional fears are collective layoffs (19%) and the possibility of being replaced by workers from other countries (16%). Some respondents are also concerned about failing to keep up with rapidly changing skill requirements, especially in areas related to automation and AI (13%). Less frequently, but still noticeably, employees mention concerns about task outsourcing (10%) and a mandatory return to the office that would make it impossible for them to continue working (6%). At the same time, 28% of respondents say they feel no professional anxiety at all.
As Katarzyna Pączkowska, Permanent Recruitment Director at Manpower, points out, sentiment in the labor market affects candidates’ career decisions. “A sense of stability has become a key factor, rather than salary or development opportunities alone. In recruitment processes, we are clearly hearing questions about a company’s condition, its restructuring plans, and the implementation of AI and process automation. Today, we are operating in conditions of accumulated uncertainty and an ever-faster pace of change. We are not talking about a one-off crisis, but rather a prolonged period of instability that began with the pandemic and has been deepened by inflation, technological change, layoffs at large companies, and geopolitical tensions. Employees are functioning in a state of permanent volatility, which naturally reduces their sense of professional security,” says the Manpower representative.
“Continuous technological development is leading to the automation of repetitive tasks, rather than entire positions. Therefore, fears of losing jobs because of AI are only partly justified. What is becoming crucial in today’s labor market, however, is the constant upgrading of skills and the development of digital competencies so that workers can effectively cooperate with new tools and implemented technologies. From a recruitment perspective, what we mainly see is the transformation of roles and the emergence of hybrid positions that combine several areas or functions. Specific simple and repetitive tasks are disappearing, but demand is growing for new competencies, the ability to work with data and technology, change management, and rapid learning. Organizations that actively reskill employees minimize fear and turnover,” the expert adds.
Industries with a greater and lower sense of security
An analysis of the data by sector reveals clear differences in how stability is perceived. Employees in industry and the raw materials sector currently feel the most secure, with as many as 35% reporting no fear for their jobs. In healthcare and life sciences, that figure stands at 33%, while in transport, logistics, and automotive it is 30%. The most difficult situation, meanwhile, appears in communication services, where no one declares a lack of concern, and in finance and real estate, where only 16% feel secure.
Greater sense of security among men, more concerns among women
The data also shows that men are more likely to declare professional peace of mind, with 32% reporting no job-related concerns, compared with 24% of women. Although the sources of uncertainty are similar, their intensity differs. Economic instability worries men more often (36%) than women (29%). Women, in turn, are more likely to fear being replaced by AI (22% vs. 18%), restructuring (23% vs. 17%), and a forced return to the office (8% vs. 4%).
Older workers have fewer concerns about their professional future
Clear differences are also visible across generations. Baby Boomers (aged 61–79) report the greatest sense of security, with as many as 52% saying they have no job-related concerns. The lowest share of such declarations is found among Millennials (25%), while Generation X (27%) and Generation Z (30%) fall in between.
For Generation X employees, economic instability remains the greatest source of stress (39%). Gen Z workers mention it the least often (20%). The risk of being replaced by AI worries Baby Boomers the least (5%), while it concerns younger people the most — both Generation Z and Millennials (24% each). Restructuring, meanwhile, is most often a concern among Generation X employees (27%) and least often among the youngest workers, with only 7% of Gen Z indicating it.
“Generation Z is entering the labor market at a time of significant turbulence and has not had the chance to experience prolonged professional stability. Their expectations are high, but at the same time they have less experience, which intensifies stress and uncertainty. Experience gives employees a greater sense of confidence, as well as the ability to navigate and adapt to change. Older generations know that their competencies are transferable and that the labor market has already gone through cycles of growth and slowdown before,” says Pączkowska.
On-site work provides greater stability
When analyzing the place of work, those working exclusively remotely appear the least optimistic — only 20% report no concerns related to their professional lives. By comparison, this figure is 29% among hybrid workers and 33% among on-site employees.
Remote workers are the least likely to cite economic uncertainty and its consequences as a source of concern (29%), followed by hybrid workers (34%), while on-site employees mention it most often (41%). The opposite relationship can be seen in fears of being replaced by technology: remote workers declare such concerns most frequently (40%), while on-site employees do so least often (9%); among hybrid workers, the figure stands at 13%. The potential consequences of restructuring worry on-site employees more often (22%) than remote (19%) and hybrid workers (18%).
“Although different work models have become firmly established in the Polish labor market, recently we have been observing a gradual return to on-site work. Candidates working on-site or in hybrid models more often perceive their role as an integral part of the organization. Remote workers, by contrast, are more likely to worry about stability, which is why during recruitment processes they ask more often about company strategy and long-term plans for the team and the position. Remote work may reinforce a sense of replaceability, because relationships with the team and the organization are weaker, while work is measured more by tasks. This fosters concern that a role may be easier to automate or outsource,” Katarzyna Pączkowska concludes.
Uncertainty dominates globally, although 30% of workers feel secure
Globally, employees most often point to economic instability, restructuring, and collective layoffs as their main concerns. They also mention being replaced by AI or technology, not keeping up with changing skills requirements, and their tasks being outsourced to external companies. Worldwide, 30% of employees say they are not worried about their jobs.
