Over 77,000 workers will be laid off next year by large Polish companies, RMF24 radio reported, citing data from the country's Main Statistical Office.
Mass layoffs threaten 156 companies, including state-owned ones. These enterprises are located in cities such as Krakow, Toruń, Slupsk and Rybnik. The reasons cited include automation, rising labor costs and the relocation of factories abroad.
In the first half of 2025 alone, employers in Poland have submitted notifications of about 80,000 planned mass layoffs, with approximately 17,000 of them already implemented, according to data from the MyCompany Polska portal. This represents the highest level of reported layoff intentions since the pandemic of 2020.
The layoffs in the manufacturing sector - a symbol of Poland's economic expansion over the past decade - are particularly noticeable.
In January this year, GUS reported that 61,000 jobs were lost in companies with more than 10 employees alone, a decrease of 0.9% compared to the previous year.
„Companies are optimizing production and automating processes. Investments in artificial intelligence and robotization lead to workforce restructuring“, analysts from Interia Biznes comment.
Dozens of international corporations based in Poland have announced layoffs or restructuring in the past year:
NatWest — the British bank has decided to close its operations in Poland, laying off around 1,600 employees at the end of June 2024.
Aldi — in Krakow, the company closed its financial center, leaving 96 people unemployed.
Intel, Nokia and HP Enterprise have also reduced staff in their Polish offices as part of global cost-cutting plans.