Last year, the Polish labor market struggled with one of the largest waves of collective layoffs in recent years. The reductions affected both large corporations, such as PKP Cargo, Poczta Polska and Fujitsu, as well as smaller manufacturing companies, and their main reasons were restructuring, a decline in orders, automation and growing competition.
In 2025, the labor market in Poland experienced a significant wave of group layoffs. According to data from the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy, from January to September, employers announced their intention to apply group layoffs to nearly 89.5 thousand people. employees. However, this does not always mean reductions, and the number of people who lose their jobs is usually smaller and depends on the implementation of these plans. The latest data from the ministry shows that from the beginning of 2025 to the end of August, contracts with approximately 18.9 thousand were actually terminated. people under monitored procedures.
Largest announced job cuts
Over the past year withcollective layoffs were reported by both private and state entities. The largest reductions were those in the following companies:
- PKP Cargo – the company initially announced a reduction of approximately 1,000 employees, explaining this by the difficult financial situation and the decline in transport. However, in September, its representatives announced that it was finally done 500 people will lose their jobs as part of group layoffs. These included: drivers, checkers, auditors, administrative staff and members of rolling stock maintenance teams.
- Polish Post – the company's plans included laying off up to 9.3 thousand people. people, mainly as part of the Transformation Plan and the Voluntary Redundancy Program. Jhowever, it eventually left the company approximately 6.3 thousand people. Its representatives emphasized that it does not conduct a separate process of group layoffs, and its activities concern voluntary departures and retirement.
- Beko Europe – due to the closure of the factory in Łódź, where the production of cookers, dryers and plastic components was ended, people lost their jobs nearly 1,100 people. In turn, there were layoffs in the refrigerator factory in Wrocław 700 employees.
- Rafako
– almost 700 people lost employment as a result of the bankruptcy process and liquidation of the plant in the first half of 2025. - Fujitsu Technology Solutions
– the company announced its intention to dismiss 834 employees in Poland. The reductions mainly affected offices in Łódź and Katowice - BlackRedWhite – the furniture manufacturer laid off in 2025. over 420 peoplehowever, by 2026 the reductions are expected to cover approx 800 employees.
- UBS – in February, the Swiss financial giant announced the closure of its Warsaw branch and the layoff of approximately 1,200 employees. The entire process has been spread over the years 2025-2026.
- Lear Corporation – an automotive concern has slowed down its Polish branch in Pikutkowo 608 people.
- Eco-Windows
– due to reorganization, the company parted ways with close 700 employees. - Cash and Carry Macro
– at the end of September, the chain closed four halls: in Zabrze, Rybnik, Toruń and Słupsk. They lost their job there nearly 400 employees. - HSBC Service Delivery
– this global bank announced layoffs 190 people in its shared services center in Krakow, among others due to the transfer of processes to other locations and cost reduction. - Carrefour
– in its branches in Warsaw and Bydgoszcz, the network has slowed down significantly 200 employees. - Heineken Poland – according to unofficial data, there was work in the company's shared services center in Krakow from 500 to 700 people.
It's not just the big guys who are slowing down
Many smaller enterprises were also unable to maintain their staff. These included:
- Urbanski company
– at the beginning of the year WithShe fired almost the entire staff of her plant producing glass and mirrors in Mosina, i.e about 100 people. - Sanity
– the company declared bankruptcy, as a result of which she has been without a job since January 2025 150-person crew footwear factory in Piła. - Stoll
– this German company producing parts for agricultural machines closed its Słupsk branch. There was a total loss of employment there in February 90 people
– 67 production and 23 administration employees. - Horizon Sport – the sports equipment manufacturer announced that it would say goodbye to the company 40 employees. Here, the job cuts ended in February 2025.
- Inofama SA – as part of the restructuring of a company operating mainly in the metal and machinery industry, it lost its job nearly 70 employees.
- Shiloh Industries – this automotive concern has planned layoffs this year 180 people.
- Automotive Electrical Engineering Plant in Ełk planned a reduction of approx 241 employees.
- Tarnowska Odzież Labor Cooperative – she slowed down 72 people. The reason is the liquidation of production.
- Hymon Photovoltaics – he will lose his job here 72 employees.
- Aptiv – business from the automotive industry has slowed down this year 392 people. The employer explained the cuts as a result of a decline in orders and the need to adapt production to the market.
- Ceramika Paradyż – a manufacturer of ceramic tiles announced a plan to reduce employment o 140 people. The reason turned out to be high production costs and growing competition, among others. from Asia.
Necessary restructuring and growing competition
The most frequently indicated reasons for group layoffs in 2025 are:
- restructuring within companies,
- decline in orders – especially in the manufacturing and automotive sectors,
- technological changes and automation of work processes,
- competition with imports,
- general economic slowdown
- cost reductions in enterprises.
The year 2025 was characterized by one of the largest waves of collective layoffs in recent years in Poland, both in terms of the number of reported reductions and the diversity of industries in which they occurred.. They affected many sectors – from industry and production, through services and trade, to the technology and financial industries. The cuts affected both large international corporations (e.g. Fujitsu, Heineken), service centers (HSBC), as well as production plants and industrial companies (Aptiv, Ceramika Paradyż, Inofama). Although some companies limited the scale of planned layoffs and the scale of some reductions slightly decreased in the second half of the year compared to the beginning of the year, the number of reports and actual actions of companies show that the labor market still faces the challenge of stabilizing employment.
