The labour market in Poland – what impact will refugees have on it?
More than 2 million people (as of 28.03.2022) from Ukraine have already arrived in Poland since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. There is no doubt that those who remain here should be provided with long-term support. This means not only meeting basic needs, but also enabling people to find a job to ensure a steady source of income. All actions taken for refugees will affect both the Polish economy and the labor market. How?
What will change in the labor market?
It is difficult to clearly determine what changes will take place in the Polish economy or on the labour market. Many experts predict that the situation in Ukraine will have negative consequences. What will change? Industries that rely heavily on workers from the East, such as services, transport or construction, will certainly change. The same may also be true of the effects of the anti-inflation shield – it has stopped the increase in the consumer inflation rate to some extent, but the influx of refugees may change this. Activities are carried out throughout Poland to prepare the country to accept refugees. It is important to match the competences of employees from Ukraine to the needs of Polish employers. Although many procedures for employing refugees are constantly changing and simplified, it is still not easy to find their way around. White collar outsourcing can come to the rescue. This service is provided by an external company that takes over from the employer all responsibilities related to hiring and managing employees.
What has the labour market looked like so far?
Many foreigners found employment in Poland, and last year was a record year in terms of the impact of foreign workers on the domestic labour market. The largest group that received a work permit in 2021 were citizens of Ukraine. So far, many employers have used white collar outsourcing when hiring citizens of other countries. Thanks to this, they could focus on running their business, and all formalities remained on the side of a professional external company. The logistics industry gained the most employees, with more warehouse workers, manual packers and people working on the reloading of goods on the labour market. A similar development has also occurred in the construction industry, where the number of concrete workers, bricklayers, construction painters, carpenters, electricians and other specialists has increased.
Refugees from Ukraine and paid work
It is worth remembering that a refugee from Ukraine is not an ordinary employee. Why? The current situation in Ukraine is causing its people to flee the country to save themselves and their families. So this is not a typical economic emigration. Among the refugees, there are mainly elderly people, women and children. So far, the vacancies available have been primarily in the logistics, construction or industrial sectors. In the current situation, they may not be suitable, for example, for women who would like to take up work. Some people will find employment, and some may face the need to change qualifications or acquire completely new skills. Some workplaces are already preparing offers with training for employees, after which they will be hired. For many, the lack of knowledge of Polish or English may also be a barrier. Both employers and potential employees can benefit from support. For example, the Employment Agency Gdańsk will make it easier for both parties to complete all formalities. Specialists speaking Ukrainian and Polish are also a great convenience, which makes the recruitment process much faster.
Opening the labour market to refugees from Ukraine
What will be the number of vacancies available for refugees? At the moment, it is difficult to estimate – no one knows how long the military operations will last and how they will unfold. In theory, Ukrainian citizens whose stay in Poland is legal will have free access to the Polish labor market. A potential employer has 14 days from the moment of hiring an employee from Ukraine to report him. There is also a lot of talk about the fact that Ukrainian citizens will receive access to childcare or family benefits. Access to various types of social solutions will provide refugees with a sense of security, but it will also affect the labor market. Employees want to take care of a stable financial situation, and employers want to take care of proven employees they can rely on. Therefore, white collar outsourcing may be a good solution. Thanks to this, both parties will be provided with professional support. It is extremely important to properly match the employee to a given job offer. Importantly, not every refugee will want to stay in Poland permanently. Some will want to go to other countries, and some, for example, will want to return to Ukraine after the war is over. All these factors have a significant impact on the Polish labor market and certainly hinder all kinds of forecasts for the future. The real impact of refugees on the labour market will only be possible after some time, now it is far too early for that.
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