New data show that job anxiety in Poland follows a much more complex pattern than intuition suggests. In Europe, 30 percent employees do not feel any professional concerns. In Poland, the result is similar – 28%.
These are data from the latest ManpowerGroup study. It tops the list of our professional fears economic instabilityindicated by every third respondent. He appears right behind her risk of being replaced by AI or technology.
And it is at this point that Poland begins to lag behind the rest of the world — this fear is clearly stronger here than globally. In the world, fear of artificial intelligence ranks only fourth.
They go further down the list of professional concerns collective layoffs (19%) and possibility of replacement by employees from other countries (16%). Every tenth is worried outsourcing your tasksand 13 percent — that it's just that will not keep up with the pace of competence changes.
Manpower experts pay attention to the broader context of these sentiments. — Today we operate in conditions of accumulated uncertainty and an increasingly faster pace of change. We are not talking about a one-off crisis, but about a prolonged period of instability initiated by the pandemic and deepened by inflation, technological changes, layoffs in large companies and geopolitical tensions. Employees function in constant changeability, and this naturally reduces the sense of professional security – says Katarzyna Pączkowska, director of permanent recruitment at Manpower.
We look at the labor market with moderate optimism
Simultaneously Poles worry less than other Europeans competence mismatch to the labor market. As if they believed that “it will work out somehow.” This attitude, according to Katarzyna Gołek, recruitment manager and labor market expert at Manpower, may be both a sign of flexibility and a risk of underestimating the scale of changes.
– An interesting feature is also the relatively optimistic approach to restructuring. Unlike countries such as Switzerland or Norway, where it is more often associated with job losses, in Poland it is perceived as an opportunity related to the relocation of business to regions with lower costs – adds the Manpower expert.
This is the result of our position in the global economy. Poland is still a place for business relocation, which means that organizational changes do not always mean layoffs, but are more often a shift of resources or the beginning of new investments.
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The digital native is most afraid of technology
The Manpower study also debunks popular myths about the labor market. It might seem that in today's world, older workers may have reason to worry – because they cannot keep up with technology, because the labor market is not favorable to people over 50, etc. However, it is exactly the opposite.
More than half of Baby Boomers (people aged 61-79) declare complete peace of mind about their professional future. What's behind it? Katarzyna Gołek explains that the sense of security in this group results primarily from… experience, various competences and an extensive network of professional contacts.
— Contrary to stereotypes, not all roles require advanced knowledge of new technologies, in many cases practical skills, experience and the so-called human factor, especially when working with clients, in caring or technical roles. Technology can support these areas, but it is not their full substitute, continues the expert.
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On the other hand, paradoxically, the youngest employees – digital natives who are just entering the market – feel the greatest threat from AI. According to Katarzyna Gołek, this is precisely because they start with repetitive and low-specialization tasks – i.e. those that are absorbed by automation first. Knowing technology doesn't give them a shield. It may even be an illusion of security.
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Not everyone is afraid in the same way
The data shows a clear gender gap in the experience of professional uncertainty. 32 percent men do not report any concerns – for women it is only 24%. Women are more afraid of being replaced by AI (22% vs. 18%) and restructuring (23% vs. 17%) than men. They are also twice as likely as men to be afraid of a mandatory return to offices, which – probably due to more frequent caring responsibilities – could make it difficult for them to continue working.
The mode of work itself also affects our sense of security. Among remote workers, as many as 40 percent fears being replaced by technology. For comparison: among those working full-time, it is only 9%. The relationship is reversed in the case of economic uncertainty – stationary workers feel it most strongly (41%), and remote workers least often (29%).
— Remote work may strengthen the sense of interchangeability, because relationships with the team and the organization are weaker, and the measurability of work is more task-based. This contributes to the fear that the role is easier to automate or outsource, emphasizes Katarzyna Pączkowska.
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Two poles clearly stand out among industries. Today, the industry and the raw materials sector are oases of professional peace. There 35 percent employees do not report any concerns. Similarly, health and life science (33%) and transport and logistics (30%). At the other extreme: communication services, where no one declares complete peace of mind, and finance and real estate (16%).
Are your job concerns justified? According to Katarzyna Gołek, it all depends on the industry, position and career stage. In many cases, concerns coincide with real trends, especially where automation is already accelerating.
— On the other hand, there are sectors where the sense of security is fully rational, such as health care or energy, where the demand for specialists remains high. However, it cannot be clearly stated that employees' fear is “exaggerated” or, on the contrary, that the threats are underestimated. In most cases, their assessment is adequate to the realities in which they function professionally – sums up the Manpower expert.
Uncertainty influences our career decisions
This adequacy of situation assessment translates into specific changes in candidates' behavior. As he emphasizes Katarzyna Pączkowskain the face of the so-called cumulative uncertainty Poles' priorities are clearly changing. Today, a key element when choosing an employer is the sense of stability, which often outweighs the amount of salary or the vision of rapid development.
Questions that were rarely asked a few years ago are becoming standard in recruitment processes: candidates carefully ask about the company's financial condition, its restructuring plans and a specific strategy for implementing AI technology and process automation. Above all, employees want to know whether their workplace is safe and whether the organization has a long-term plan for the future.
