{"id":5515,"date":"2026-05-26T18:24:29","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T18:24:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/?p=5515"},"modified":"2026-05-26T18:24:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T18:24:29","slug":"polands-labour-market-remains-strong-despite-seasonal-weakening-in-q1-58875","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/polands-labour-market-remains-strong-despite-seasonal-weakening-in-q1-58875\/","title":{"rendered":"Poland\u2019s Labour Market Remains Strong Despite Seasonal Weakening in Q1"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Poland entered 2026 with a still very strong labour market, although the first quarter brought a slight seasonal weakening in employment and a small rise in unemployment. According to preliminary Labour Force Survey data from Statistics Poland, the country had 17.237 million employed people in Q1 2026, up by 177,000 compared with the same period of 2025, but down by 109,000 from Q4 2025. The quarterly decline reflects the typical first-quarter slowdown in seasonal and outdoor work.<\/p>\n<p>The unemployment rate stood at 3.3 percent, increasing by 0.1 percentage point quarter-on-quarter, but remaining slightly below the level recorded a year earlier. In absolute terms, 580,000 people aged 15\u201374 were unemployed, which was 13,000 more than in the previous quarter and 20,000 fewer than in Q1 2025. The data confirm that Poland continues to operate in an environment of historically low unemployment and high labour demand.<\/p>\n<p>The activity rate among people aged 15\u201389 reached 58.7 percent, up by 0.5 percentage point year-on-year. This suggests that, despite demographic pressures and an ageing population, the Polish economy is still able to draw additional people into the labour force.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/polands-labour-market-remains-strong-despite-seasonal-weakening-in-q1-58875\/#Youth_unemployment_rises_but_improves_year-on-year\" >Youth unemployment rises, but improves year-on-year<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/polands-labour-market-remains-strong-despite-seasonal-weakening-in-q1-58875\/#Education_remains_a_key_dividing_line\" >Education remains a key dividing line<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/polands-labour-market-remains-strong-despite-seasonal-weakening-in-q1-58875\/#Women_increase_labour_market_participation\" >Women increase labour market participation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/polands-labour-market-remains-strong-despite-seasonal-weakening-in-q1-58875\/#Manufacturing_remains_the_largest_employer\" >Manufacturing remains the largest employer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/polands-labour-market-remains-strong-despite-seasonal-weakening-in-q1-58875\/#Most_workers_remain_in_stable_full-time_employment\" >Most workers remain in stable full-time employment<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/polands-labour-market-remains-strong-despite-seasonal-weakening-in-q1-58875\/#Outlook_strong_market_but_structural_risks_remain\" >Outlook: strong market, but structural risks remain<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Youth_unemployment_rises_but_improves_year-on-year\"><\/span>Youth unemployment rises, but improves year-on-year<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>One of the weaker points in the report is the situation of young workers. The unemployment rate among people aged 15\u201324 reached 12.5 percent in Q1 2026, up from 11.4 percent in the previous quarter. However, compared with Q1 2025, when youth unemployment stood at 13.4 percent, the situation has improved.<\/p>\n<p>Young workers remain particularly exposed to seasonal fluctuations, temporary contracts and entry-level hiring cycles. The data therefore point less to a broad deterioration and more to a labour market segment that remains more volatile than the rest of the economy.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Education_remains_a_key_dividing_line\"><\/span>Education remains a key dividing line<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The report also highlights a clear structural divide by education level. People with higher education recorded an unemployment rate of just 1.8 percent, close to frictional unemployment. By contrast, people with primary or lower-secondary education faced a rate of 12.8 percent, up sharply from 10.2 percent a year earlier.<\/p>\n<p>The gap underlines the growing importance of skills, qualifications and adaptability in the Polish labour market. Workers with lower levels of education are more exposed to automation, changes in manufacturing and logistics, and weaker access to higher-value positions.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Women_increase_labour_market_participation\"><\/span>Women increase labour market participation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>One of the most positive signals in the Q1 data is the continued rise in women\u2019s labour market participation. The activity rate among women reached 52.5 percent, up by 1.1 percentage points year-on-year. The employment rate for women also rose, reaching 50.7 percent.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, women still account for a majority of economically inactive people. Among the 12.538 million economically inactive people aged 15\u201389, women represented 59.8 percent. Family responsibilities remain an important factor: 10.6 percent of inactive women cited family obligations as a reason for inactivity, compared with only 1.3 percent of inactive men.<\/p>\n<p>This shows that Poland still has untapped labour supply, particularly among women, but unlocking it will depend on childcare availability, flexible work arrangements and broader changes in care responsibilities.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Manufacturing_remains_the_largest_employer\"><\/span>Manufacturing remains the largest employer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Manufacturing remained the largest sector of employment in Poland in Q1 2026, employing 3.182 million people, or 18.5 percent of all employed persons. Wholesale and retail trade followed with 2.043 million workers, while education employed 1.369 million. Construction and transport also remained major employers, each accounting for more than 1.2 million jobs.<\/p>\n<p>The structure confirms Poland\u2019s continued role as a major industrial and logistics hub in Central Europe. However, the same sectors may also face growing pressure from automation, wage growth and skills shortages.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Most_workers_remain_in_stable_full-time_employment\"><\/span>Most workers remain in stable full-time employment<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Full-time work continued to dominate the Polish labour market. In Q1 2026, 92.6 percent of employed people worked full time, while part-time workers accounted for 7.4 percent. The private sector employed 75.6 percent of all workers, compared with 24.4 percent in the public sector.<\/p>\n<p>Among people employed in companies and institutions, 84.7 percent had permanent contracts. Average weekly working time in the main job stood at 38.4 hours, rising to 38.8 hours when additional jobs were included.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Outlook_strong_market_but_structural_risks_remain\"><\/span>Outlook: strong market, but structural risks remain<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The first-quarter data show that Poland\u2019s labour market remains resilient. Employment is higher than a year earlier, unemployment is still very low, and female participation continues to improve. For employers, however, this also means continued competition for experienced workers, especially in manufacturing, logistics and professional services.<\/p>\n<p>The main risks are structural rather than cyclical. Youth unemployment remains elevated, lower-educated workers face growing pressure, and women\u2019s participation is still constrained by care responsibilities. Poland\u2019s labour market is therefore strong, but future growth will increasingly depend on skills, retraining and better use of available labour supply.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Poland entered 2026 with a still very strong labour market, although the first quarter brought a slight seasonal weakening in employment and a small rise in unemployment. According to preliminary Labour Force Survey data from Statistics Poland, the country had 17.237 million employed people in Q1 2026, up by 177,000 compared with the same period [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5517,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[21],"tags":[2794,2783,2690,64,2731],"class_list":["post-5515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-careers","tag-confirm","tag-contrast","tag-gap","tag-poland","tag-professional-services"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5515"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5515\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceo.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}