The labor market surprised again in December 2025. Wages are skyrocketing, but employment is down
publication
2026-01-22 10:00
The December report from the Polish labor market greatly surprised economists. The sensationally high wage growth was accompanied by a further decline in employment in the corporate sector. Such data may remove the option of a February interest rate cut at the National Bank of Poland from the table.
The average salary in large non-financial enterprises in December 2025 was PLN 9,583.31 gross and was as much as 8.6% higher than last year. Economists' forecasts assumed an increase of 6.9%, so the result was much higher than the market consensus.
December's (as well as November's) data question the downward trend in wage dynamics in Poland. The annual rate of wage growth has been decreasing since August 2022, but the last two months have seen an acceleration. This situation may definitively eliminate the chances of a February interest rate cut by the Monetary Policy Council. Let us recall that in June, wages in the corporate sector grew at an average rate of 9.0%. per year, which was due to pay rises in the mining industry. Only a year ago, the nominal wage dynamics in the enterprise sector reached single-digit values.
The acceleration of the nominal wage growth rate in the face of decreasing CPI inflation caused real wage growth to skyrocket. With December CPI inflation finally estimated by the Central Statistical Office at 2.4% real wage dynamics in the enterprise sector amounted to as much as 6.09% y/y. This was the highest result since August 2024. For comparison, throughout last year this value remained in the range of 2.65-4.85%, which was not a low result by historical standards.
Mines, fields, forests – that's where you earn the most money
And so, in December 2025, the highest earnings were in mining. After adding all bonuses, allowances and benefits, the average gross amount was PLN 21,430.22 – more than twice as much as the average for the entire enterprise sector. Second place was taken by forestry, with the addition of agriculture, hunting and fishing. It is worth adding, however, that in both of these sectors, December salaries were approximately half higher than the average for the entire 2025.
| Average monthly gross wages in the enterprise sector by type of activity PKD 2007 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DETAILS | 12 2025 | 01-12 2025 | |||
| in zlotys | 11 2025=100 | 12 2024=100 | in zlotys | 01-12 2024=100 | |
| Mining and quarrying | 21430.22 | 112.8 | 103.1 | 13896.27 | 103.8 |
| Agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishing | 18451.53 | 187.2 | 136.9 | 11408.21 | 111.4 |
| Production and supply of electricity, gas, steam and hot water | 15286.37 | 111.9 | 113.0 | 12823.02 | 106.4 |
| Information and communication | 14966.74 | 103.7 | 107.4 | 14695.91 | 108.7 |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 12779.08 | 107.8 | 108.1 | 11934.79 | 108.0 |
| Activities related to culture, entertainment and recreation | 10519.63 | 126.5 | 110.9 | 8453.94 | 110.2 |
| Real estate market services | 10388.15 | 115.0 | 107.4 | 8919.03 | 107.5 |
| ENTERPRISE SECTOR | 9583.31 | 105.6 | 108.6 | 8934.98 | 108.1 |
| Transport and storage | 9485.88 | 105.4 | 113.8 | 8685.20 | 109.5 |
| Water supply: sewage and waste management; | 9348.74 | 115.6 | 110.8 | 8038.61 | 109.7 |
| Construction | 8991.51 | 103.1 | 107.5 | 8563.68 | 107.4 |
| Industrial processing | 8809.11 | 103.0 | 108.8 | 8456.61 | 108.4 |
| Trade; repair of motor vehicles | 8378.14 | 104.1 | 106.1 | 8111.32 | 106.8 |
| Other service activities | 7370.75 | 107.6 | 113.7 | 6871.87 | 107.7 |
| Administration and support activities | 7354.45 | 102.7 | 109.0 | 7164.62 | 109.2 |
| Accommodation and catering | 6659.29 | 102.1 | 106.4 | 6575.57 | 108.2 |
The podium was completed by employees of the energy, gas and heating sectors with an average salary of PLN 15,286.37. Right behind the box was the “information and communication” section, where an average of just under PLN 15,000 was earned. As usual, at the end of this table are hotel, catering and administration employees.
How does the Central Statistical Office calculate the national average and who earns that much anyway?
The average salary in large non-financial companies is only one of the indicators regarding wages in the Polish economy. However, it does not include data, among others: in public administration, education, health care and micro-enterprises. Which means that this statistic applies to less than 40 percent. working.
Secondly, this value is given in gross terms, which the vast majority of employees have never seen in person. The employee receives a net salary, i.e. after deducting approximately 20% of “contributions” to the Social Insurance Institution, 9% of the National Health Fund contribution and at least 12% of the labor tax advance (PIT). The difference between gross and net salary is approximately 27%.
In addition, every month – but with a delay of almost half a year – we receive data on the median and decile distribution of wages covering the national economy sector, including the public sector and smaller companies. However, these data are published with a six-month delay. However, we know that the median wage for July 2025 was PLN 7,246.64 gross, or PLN 5,270.35 net. For comparison, let us add that today's category – i.e. the average salary in the enterprise sector – in July 2025 amounted to PLN 8,905.63 gross and was 22.9% more than the median. That's how we know that most employees receive wages lower than average.
Employment down again
The Central Statistical Office also reported that in December 2025, average employment in the enterprise sector amounted to 6,410.3 thousand. full-time positions. It was therefore 3.5 thousand lower than in November, when an increase of 9.3 thousand was recorded. full-time positions. Average employment decreased by 0.7 percent year-on-year. y/y, which was a result consistent with the market consensus.
Apart from the January “jumps” in employment statistics (resulting from the annual change in the sample of surveyed enterprises), employment in the corporate sector has decreased almost continuously since the beginning of 2023. However, in 2025, a total of 43.4 thousand people died. full-time positions.
