Poland is observing a gradual decline in the number of Ukrainians on the labor market. Some Ukrainian citizens are returning to their homeland, while others are moving to Western European countries in search of higher salaries and better working conditions, WNP.pl reports.
According to Worksol Group CEO Michal Solecki, Polish employers are already actively looking for replacements for Ukrainian workers among citizens of Asian and South American countries.
According to him, the Polish labor market is quickly adapting to changes and is gradually filling gaps in personnel with new labor migrants.
Despite the outflow, Ukrainian citizens still make up the largest share of foreigners working in Poland.
As of September 2024, approximately 779,000 Ukrainians were officially employed. At the same time, their share of the Polish labor market is gradually decreasing.
The total number of foreigners working in Poland has already exceeded 1.17 million, almost six times more than ten years ago.
Currently, approximately 30,000 citizens of Colombia and the Philippines work in Poland. The number of workers from Nepal and India is also growing. In the first half of 2024 alone, Polish authorities issued over 173,000 work permits, the majority of which were to citizens of countries outside Europe.
Warehouse and production workers, equipment operators, and personnel performing manual labor traditionally remain in the highest demand.
The media notes that some Ukrainians who have left for Western Europe for higher wages may face changed conditions upon their return to Poland.
Vacancies previously occupied by Ukrainian workers can now be filled by citizens of other countries.
Poland is updating its residence rules for Ukrainians. Since March 2026, new conditions have been in force in the country regarding the PESEL UKR status, employment, access to healthcare, and the issuance of a three-year CUKR residence card.
In addition, certain categories of Ukrainians must undergo a document check in order to maintain their right to legal residence in the country.