The manufacturing industry is looking for professionals. Regional differences in earnings are narrowing
Staff shortages and rising employment costs are keeping entrepreneurs in the manufacturing, transport and logistics industries awake at night. Experts note that the fierce fight for employees is mainly beneficial for professionals with specific technical competences, who are difficult to replace with foreigners. The high demand for technicians, fitters and electricians across the country translates into a reduction in regional pay disparities in these positions.
In February this year, the Minister of Education and Science announced a forecast of demand for employees in sectoral vocational education occupations in 2024. The list includes 34 professions of particular importance for the development of the country. The overwhelming majority of these are technical professions from the TSL (transport-forwarding-logistics), construction and production industries.
“In the manufacturing industry, it is difficult to find companies that would not struggle with a shortage of workers. This problem occurs among manufacturers of electronics and electrical engineering, metal products, food products and the automotive sector. We are observing an unflagging demand for specialists with specific technical competences, such as machine operators, fitters, electricians and mechanics – says Hubert Laśkiewicz, Business Development Manager at LeasingTeam Group
Staff shortages are not a new phenomenon
Staff shortages in these sectors are also indicated by the authors of the Occupational Barometer 2024, commissioned by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. For many years, the ranking has been continuously topped by: carpenters, carpenters, roofers and construction tinsmiths, truck and tractor drivers, machine tool operators and welders.
“The main problem is not really staff gaps, but competence gaps. In recent years, there has been a widespread shortage of specialists with vocational education. This trend is not new and will continue to intensify due to the pace of business development, unfavourable demographic situation and the education system that is not best suited to the requirements of the modern labour market – explains Hubert Laśkiewicz, Business Development Manager at LeasingTeam Group. “The best proof that local markets are not able to meet the needs of our economy in terms of human resources is the fact that more and more entrepreneurs are reaching for employees from distant regions of the world – from Asia and South America ,” adds Hubert Laśkiewicz.
However, not all vacancies can be easily filled with foreign workers. Anna Pokora, Regional Development Director at LeasingTeam Group, notes that most foreigners work as drivers, construction helpers or warehouses. On the other hand, in the manufacturing industry, the largest group from outside the country are machine tool operators. Workers from the East, on the other hand, do not want to work as carpenters or forklift operators. By far the fewest foreigners, due to the lack of Polish qualifications, are among electricians, electromechanics and electricians.
Regional wage disparities are decreasing
Entrepreneurs are forced to compete for employees, offering higher wages, bonuses for punctuality or more attractive non-wage benefits. However, allowances such as free travel, co-financing of meals or accommodation work mainly for basic employees. Qualified specialists no longer have to commute to a better-paid job at the other end of Polish. Experts from the LeasingTeam Group employment agency took a closer look at the salaries of professionals in the manufacturing and transport sectors in the Mazowieckie and Dolnośląskie Voivodeships, where average salaries in manufacturing have been the highest in the country for years (in December 2023 they amounted to PLN 8,380 and PLN 8,013 gross, respectively). They compared them to the salaries of specialists in this sector in the Subcarpathian and Lublin regions, i.e. in regions that are usually at the tail of wages (average earnings in manufacturing in December: PLN 6,534 and PLN 6,129 gross). It turns out that although the average monthly salary in the east of the country is about 30 percent lower than in Lower Silesia or Mazovia, the rates for the most sought-after employees in the production and transport and logistics industries are comparable.
– In the Subcarpathian and Lublin regions, electricians and electromechanics are able to earn PLN 9,500 gross per month, machine tool operators up to PLN 8,250 gross, and locksmiths PLN 7,820 gross. These are almost identical amounts to those offered in Mazovia or Lower Silesia – says Justyna Gosk, Chief Operating Officer at LeasingTeam Group. “Carpenters and woodworkers certainly cannot complain about low wages in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. The most experienced get up to PLN 9,820 gross here. This is almost half as much as in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship. In eastern Poland, welders earn less. The gross amount of PLN 6,500 is not impressive, while both in Lower Silesia and Mazovia the rates have already exceeded the gross limit of PLN 10,000 – adds Justyna Gosk.
Of course, we are talking about rates for qualified specialists. The wages of helpers and basic workers are much lower, and the gap between local markets is still large. The LeasingTeam agency cites the earnings of warehouse workers as an example. In the eastern provinces, they can count on a maximum of PLN 5,800 gross, and in Warsaw it is not uncommon to find offers for the amount of PLN 7,900 gross with an employment contract. However, it is worth noting that many offers are still oscillating around the lowest national wage. Regional wage gaps could soon blur, however, as the minimum wage rises at a record pace and entry-level workers are the main beneficiaries of these increases.
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