Over the decade, the share of immigrants from Ukraine in the Polish labor market has increased tenfold. At the end of 2025, they already constituted 5%. all employees covered by ZUS insurance. For the Polish labor market, this means new challenges, but also new opportunities – note the authors of the “PIE Economic Weekly”.
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As many as 8 out of 10 immigrants from Ukraine find employment in labor-intensive industries with a low entry threshold, where it is relatively easy to find a job, the report says. These industries have been struggling with a shortage of workers for years. The most popular sectors are:
— administration services and support activities (19.8%),
— industrial processing (19.1%),
— construction (13.5%),
— transport and storage (12.1%),
— wholesale and retail trade and vehicle repair (9.2%),
— accommodation and catering (6.6%). These industries have been struggling with a shortage of workers for years.
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Mateusz Krymski / PAP / photos
See also: This is how Ukrainians see their future in Poland. How many really want to stay?
Ukrainians in Poland. 40 percent changes industry after arrival
Immigrants working in OECD countries earn on average 34% more than less than locals of the same age and sex. Two-thirds of this difference is due to employment in lower-paid sectors and companies. However, the wage gap gradually decreases – by a third in the first five years of residence, and by up to half after a decade.
As much as 40 percent immigrants from Ukraine work in Poland in a completely different industry than before they left. 25 percent finds employment in the same sector, and 24 percent were not professionally active before arrival. The smallest group (11%) are people who previously ran a business or worked under a form other than an employment contract.
Changing industries is most common in hotels, tourism, trade, catering and household services – more than half of immigrants worked in another sector before coming to Poland.
In industries requiring specialization, such as health care, IT, education or finance, fewer people declare changing the industry – about half continue working in the same sector.
It is worth noting that in IT, transport and communications, relatively many immigrants have no previous professional experience, which is due to the predominance of younger people in this group.
Ukrainians in Poland. Integration in the labor market
Research confirms that immigrants often experience a decline in their professional status after arriving in a new country. However, as they acquire local competences, their position on the labor market improves. It is crucial to remove systemic barriers, such as the recognition of foreign qualifications. The OECD emphasizes that effective integration policy should include access to information about the labor market, career counseling and support in building professional networks.
Source: Polish Economic Institute
