In 2025, the number of foreigners legally working in Poland increased by almost 100 thousand, reaching about 1.29 million people. This is the highest figure in the entire history of observations, despite a decrease in overall employment and an increase in unemployment in the country. InPoland writes.
By the end of the year, the number of foreign workers in Poland increased by 8%, or 96 thousand people. At the same time, the total number of employed in the entrepreneurial sector decreased by 46 thousand, and the registered unemployment rate rose from 5.1% to 5.7%.
Poland's labor market: record number of foreigners
The largest number of foreigners work in transportation, logistics, public catering, and industry, particularly in the food sector. Although a significant portion of these workers hold low-paying positions, the number of foreign specialists is also growing. According to Rzeczpospolita, foreigners already make up about 20% of personnel in the business services sector.
The largest groups of foreign workers in Poland:
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Ukrainians — 857.1 thousand;
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Belarusians — 138.7 thousand;
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Georgians — 26.0 thousand;
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Indians — 25.1 thousand;
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Colombians — 19.5 thousand;
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Filipinos — 15.5 thousand;
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Moldovans — 14.0 thousand;
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Nepalese — 13.1 thousand;
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Vietnamese — 12.2 thousand;
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Russians — 12.0 thousand.
If you are interested in working in Poland, we suggest familiarizing yourself with 350,000 vacancies on the Layboard portal.
Foreign workers in Poland: why they are indispensable
Labor market expert and founder of Personnel Service Krzysztof Ingłot notes that for many sectors, foreign workers have become critically important. In particular, there is a shortage of local candidates in the meat and fish processing industries. An additional factor is the outflow of Ukrainians to other EU countries, particularly Germany, where the minimum wage is twice as high as in Poland.
The Polish Ministry of Family, Labor, and Social Policy reminds that there is a list of 329 shortage professions in the country. For foreigners with relevant education, they plan to simplify and expedite the procedures for legalizing residency and employment.
It is worth noting that for employment in Poland, Ukrainians will soon be required to have a work permit.