One of the most expressive trends on the Polish labor market is the growing demand for manual workers and those performing Simple work. The report “Specialist labor market” of Pracuj.pl indicates that offers for manual workers constituted 17 percent. all ads, which makes them the second most sought after group in the country. The top five of the most sought after specializations also included those from the area IT (9 percent), customer service (7 percent) i finances (6 percent).
In turn, the latest CSO data shows that the most free jobs were reported for production workers and economic workers.
Data on the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy clearly show the gap in the labor market. In the first half of 2025, employers reported to labor offices as much as 111.8 thousand offers for employees performing Simple work. At the same time, the number of registered unemployed in this category was only 47.3 thousand. The situation is similar in the case machine and equipment operatorswhere at 37.7 thousand There were 30.3 thousand offers. unemployed. Among the professions with the greatest demand were also warehousemen -Ferts for them constituted 2.7% of all applications in labor offices.
High demand for manual workers results from good condition key sectors of the economy. Development of the construction sector, driven by housing investments and infrastructure, and dynamic expansion of industry – Especially in the automotive, furniture or food industries – They create a constant demand for employees of production and assembly lines.
As Pracuj.pl experts emphasize, physical work is increasingly a conscious professional choice, not a need. This translates into the high involvement of employees of this group (68 % of people declare them).
Complicated situation of specialists
While there is a lack of hands for physical work, the number of qualified unemployed for which there is no appropriate positions are growing. In the first half of 2025, the employment offices registered:
- 66.4 thous. specialistsfor which employers only reported 23.9 thousand offers,
- 78.5 thousand medium technicians and staffwhere he was waiting for 35.8 thousand jobs,
- 8.6 thousand representatives of public authorities, senior officials and managers, Ma 2.9 thousand vacancies.
The situation of office workers is completely different. Here, the number of offers in the first half of 2025 (46.1 thousand) exceeded the number of registered unemployed (36.8 thousand).
However, there are specialists who can still change in offers.
Sellers wanted and looking for
Invariably for years, sales are most often sought after, which constituted 19 percent. all job offers published on Pracuj.pl. However, data from employment offices shed different light on the situation of this professional group. Sellers dominate among registered unemployed (8.7 percent of the total), and at 48.4 thous. only 16.1 thousand people were waiting in offices in offices. offers. A similar discrepancy can also be seen in other professions, e.g. in services or gastronomy, where the number of candidates exceeds the available jobs. Perhaps the problem is not staffing, but the mismatch of offers and competences.
IT sector without major changes
The IT industry, for years, a symbol of dynamic growth, entered the period of stabilization. According to Pracuj.pl, the participation of offers in this sector remained at the level of nine percent, and the interest in the candidates in IT work even slightly weakened. For a year, the number of submitted applications fell from nine to eight percent.
“Stabilizing the share of job offers in IT is a clear signal that this market has entered a new, more mature phase. The demand for people just starting their career is noticeably smaller, but it grows in the case of more experienced candidates” – comments Piotr Trzmiel, Director of Business Development at TheProtocol.it in the Pracaj.pl report.
Companies are looking for experts with experience, capable of conducting complex projects, mentoring teams and implementing solutions in AI areas, data engineering or cyber security.
Read also: 4.8 million IT specialists are missing in the world. Salaries break records
Uniformed sector. Determined employers and lack of volunteers
The uniformed service sector recorded a special situation. In the first half of 2025, the demand for officers increased.
The offices were received by:
- 6.1 thousand offers for Border Guard officers,
- 2.0 thousand offers for prevention police officers,
- 0.5 thousand offers for the officers of the prison service.
Importantly, all these offers concerned unjustified employment, which, as emphasized by the authors of the MRPIPS labor market department, demonstrates the high determination of employers.
Employee frustration and challenges of companies
Although more and more people apply to job offers, according to the HAYS report as much as 49 percent. companies expect recruitment difficulties. The main obstacle is the unrealistic financial expectations of the candidates (indicated by 44 percent of companies) and a shortage of people with desired competences (41 percent).
The problem has its source in the growing dissatisfaction of employees. The average salary in the enterprise sector increased in July 2025 by 7.6 percent. Year on year, reaching PLN 8,905.63 gross, but increases are not common. Only 43 percent specialists received a raise in the first half of the year, and only 39 percent. He is satisfied with his earnings. As a result, until 62 percent employees are considering changing work In the second half of 2025
Employers were in a dot. Who they are looking for today is less and less common with who is currently looking for a job. And this discrepancy – next to pay pressure and technological changes – becomes the biggest challenge of the Polish labor market.
HAYS and Pracuj.pl reports indicate that, in addition to experience, specific digital skills are increasingly important – work with AI, data analysis or system management. Companies also begin to appreciate more mature employees with practice who can combine expert knowledge with support for new technologies.
